Scholz Has No Intention of Participating in "Fighter Jet Coalition" for Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not see Germany participating in the debates about creating an alliance that will supply Ukraine with Western fighter jets.

According to Tagesschau, Scholz was responding to a question about whether Germany will be participating in a joint alliance announced by the Netherlands, the UK and France with the aim of training pilots and supplying fighter jets.

 "We have focused on what we are doing. This is crucial for Ukraine's ability to defend itself," Scholz stated, speaking in Reykjavik on the sidelines of the Council of Europe summit.

He mentioned the supply of tanks, technical maintenance for weapons systems, ammunition, and enhancement of air defence against Russian attacks. Scholz said Germany has made further commitments in these sectors.

On 17 May, following a meeting on the sidelines of the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik, the prime ministers of the UK and the Netherlands agreed to head the "fighter jet coalition", whose primary goal is to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his evening address on Tuesday, 16 May that the UK and the Netherlands, along with France, have joined the "fighter jet coalition".

Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, earlier stated that Warsaw was prepared to keep supplying Ukraine with its MiG-29 fighters, but not to send F-16 fighter jets, since Poland has few of them.