Zelenskyy’s EuroTrip: German billions, UK weapons, but no jets coming

BELFAST — With Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia fast approaching, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been on a diplomatic tour of Europe that has led to a new wave of British, French and German weapons heading to Kyiv, including tanks, air defense systems, and hundreds of drones and missiles.

And yet, while the arms packages will be welcomed — especially $3 billion in arms from Germany, the largest contribution from the European power to date — Zelenskyy’s dream of a new fleet of fighter jets remains a politically sensitive subject without any public movement.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz “evaded” the issue of fighter jets during a Sunday media briefing at the chancellery, where he and Zelenskyy met, according to the New York Times. The report added that Zelenskyy had previously called for Germany to support a “fighter jet coalition.”

And after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met today with Zelensky at Chequers, Buckinghamshire, he said that the supply of fighter jets was “not a straightforward thing” but approved of the UK being “a key part of the coalition countries” according to the BBC.

Ukraine had previously requested the supply of British fighter jets but Zelenskyy has now dropped such interest and will continue to focus on US F-16s, per The Guardian. The UK has vowed to deliver an “elementary flying phase” for Ukrainian pilots to learn basic flight training beginning this summer. The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that the flying phase “goes hand in hand” with efforts to support other countries providing F-16s.

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Today’s visit to London was still a productive one, however. London announced several days ago it would be donating the Storm Shadow, a long-range strike weapon that will give Ukraine the ability to hit longer distances.

That announcement was bolstered by today’s statement from the UK Prime Minister’s Office that the UK will supply hundreds of new “long-range attack drones” and hundreds of additional air defense missiles — all of which are due to be delivered “in the coming weeks.”

Since the start of 2023 the UK has supplied Ukraine with a range of equipment including a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanks, self-propelled guns, hundreds of armored vehicles and Starstreak short-range, man-portable, air-defense systems (MANPADS).

The jewel of the trip for Zelenskyy, however, is likely Germany’s near $3 billion package of tanks, air defense systems and ammunition.

The new arms package from Berlin, Germany’s largest to date and valued at €2.7 billion ($2.95 billion), covers 200 reconnaissance drones, 30 Leopard 1 A5 tanks, 20 Marder armored personnel carriers, over 100 combat vehicles, 18 self-propelled Howitzers and four IRIS-T SLM medium range air defense systems. And perhaps just as important as the weapons, the package serves as a political symbol that Germany is not wavering in its support for Kyiv, despite complaints from Ukrainian supporters that Berlin has not gone all in on helping fight Russian forces.

Zelenskyy also met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday evening in Paris. In a joint statement, they said that “in the coming weeks” France will “equip several battalions with tens of armored vehicles and light tanks including AMX-10RC” and called for new sanctions to be placed on Russia.

Paris also publicly committed to a peace plan involving an end to the conflict based around the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Ukraine.