UK supports Poland if it decides to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, Ben Wallace
March 8, 2022, 9:52 am

UK supports Poland if it decides to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, Ben Wallace

Fighter jets/Pixabay

The Khaleej Times reported, citing Reuters, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Tuesday Britain would support Poland if it decided to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, but warned that doing so might have direct consequences for Poland.

Wallace told Sky News: "I would support the Poles and whatever choice they make." The minister added that the United Kingdom could not offer aircraft that the Ukrainians would be able to use.

He said: "We would protect Poland, we'll help them with anything that they need."

"Poland will understand that the choices they make will not only directly help Ukraine, which is a good thing, but also may bring them into direct line of fire from countries such as Russia or Belarus."

Robert Ben Lobban Wallace is a British Conservative Party politician currently serving as Secretary of State for Defence since 24 July 2019 and Member of Parliament for Wyre and Preston North, formerly Lancaster and Wyre, since 2005 (File photo: Facebook page)

Britain has provided Ukraine with defensive weapons as well as other military and humanitarian aid.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to address British parliament today at 1700 GMT

The report noted that Wallace said he would make a statement to parliament on Wednesday setting out what further lethal and non-lethal aid Britain would be providing, as well as what measures the British government would urge other countries to do.

Source: khaleejtimes

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.