German general calls for F-16 jets to be promptly given to Ukraine

Retired German general Erhard Bühler said that Ukraine requires not only air defence equipment, but also Western fighter jets.

Source: European Pravda, citing Bild, a German publication

Details: General Bühler, former commander of the Kosovo Force, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo, blamed the German government for the insufficient weapons and equipment supplies for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

He said the Ukrainian forces lacked ammunition and armoured vehicles, battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers, adding that the "late" decision of the German federal government to supply military equipment to Ukraine was partly to blame.

"This has prevented [Germany] from considering different measures, including multinational ones, from sitting down and discussing what would happen if tanks had to be supplied in the shortest terms? This is why there is now a lack of equipment," Bühler said, commenting on the actions of the German government.

He called for a much faster supply of military aid to Ukraine, including fighter jets.

"Ukraine needs more ammunition for air defence, and it needs military aircraft," Bühler said. He clarified that he did not mean German planes, but the "American F-16, which there are a lot of in the world." There are also many spare parts for this model of fighter jets on the market.

Bühler said that F-16 were "just an example" and that overall he was advocating ensuring that "Ukrainians can guarantee the security of their country themselves, in the long run".

Background: Andrii Melnyk, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, said that for war to end in 2023 Ukraine has to receive 10 times more military aid than it received from its partners over the past year.

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