Zelenskyy to Hold Talks with Several States on Provision of Fighter Jets to Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that in the next two days he would negotiate with "several" states to provide Ukraine with Western-made fighter jets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained during a press conference following a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson that Ukraine needs Western fighters, because now Russia has an advantage in the air, which also allows it to advance on the ground.

"We have no advantage in the sky. We don't have modern aircraft. And the Swedish Gripen is the pride of your state. And I believe that the Prime Minister could share such pride with Ukraine. We are working on this, we have taken substantial steps," he said.

Zelenskyy, without specifying, added that for several weeks "there will be certain actions, which, I very much believe, will reveal the possibility of obtaining suitable aircraft in the future."

"Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow I will have negotiations with several more states. And I am sure that we, together with our partners, will do everything and achieve an appropriate result in the sky so that the Russians do not have the corresponding advantage," the president concluded.

He did not specify with which states he would negotiate with.

In July, Ukraine signed a memorandum with 11 of its partner states at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The memorandum defines the conditions of Ukrainian pilots’ training on the F-16s.

Earlier, Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, confirmed Washington's approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver F-16s to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots complete their training.