Liz Truss joins Boris Johnson in calling for fighter jets to be sent to Ukraine
20 February 2023, 21:48 | Updated: 21 February 2023, 08:15
Liz Truss has joined Boris Johnson in calling for fighter jets to be sent to Ukraine.
Piling further pressure her successor Rishi Sunak to provide the war-torn nation with the warplanes its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for, Ms Truss said: “We need to do all we can as fast as we can. My view is that does include fighter jets.
“We’ve been having a discussion about which are the best possible options, but having spoken to the Ukrainians about this months and months ago, I know what they want is any option.
“They want us to say, ‘Let’s work with our allies to get them an option they will be able to use,’ and we also need to make sure that they have the economic wherewithal to continue the fight.
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"We need to make sure we’re continuing to support them internationally as well.”
Ms Truss made the remarks during her first speech in the House of Commons since she quit as PM.
Boris Johnson, who was sat close to his successor, reiterated his call for the West to provide Ukraine with jets.
He told MPs: “We said we would come to their aid in the event of an attack.
“Now is the time finally to do what we can to honour that promise."
"The Ukrainians are not just fighting for their freedom, but for the cause of freedom around the world.
“We should give them what they need - not next month, not next year, but now."
He added: “The story of the last 12 months is that sooner or later, having exhausted all other options, we give them what they need, from anti-tank missiles...to tanks and so, if that is the choice, sooner or later, then for heaven's sake let's give these weapons sooner."
Mr Zelenskyy urged the UK to provide his country fighter jets on a surprise visit to London earlier this month.The UK Government will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly NATO jets, but hasn't committed to supplying warplanes to the country.
It comes after US President Joe Biden pledged to send more weapons to Ukraine in a surprise trip to the country's capital almost one year after Russia's invasion.
It is Mr Biden's first trip to Ukraine since the start of the war and comes just a matter of days before the US President is scheduled to meet with Poland's President Andrzej Duda.
A statement released by the White House on behalf of Mr Biden said the purpose of the visit was to "reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine's democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity".
Mr Biden made a $500m weapons pledge - with the US understood to be providing more rockets for HIMARS systems, and more anti-armour weapons to take out Russian tanks.
Mr Biden continued: "When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong."
The President added that Ukraine will receive more "critical equipment" from the US, including artillery ammunition, air surveillance radars and anti-armour systems.
In a joint address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy labelled Mr Biden's visit as "the most important visit of the whole history of US-Ukraine relations".
"I know there will be a very significant package of support to Ukraine...serving a clear signal that Russia's aggression has no chance," Zelenskyy said.
"Ukraine is grateful to you, Mr President" he added.
Mr Biden used his address to reaffirm the United States' stance against Russia's invasion, pointing out that Vladimir Putin has "just been plain wrong".
The president said: "Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided... he’s counting on us not sticking together.
"He was counting on the inability to keep Nato united. He was counting on us not to be able to bring in others to the side of Ukraine.
"He thought he could outlast us. I don’t think he’s thinking that right now. He’s just been plain wrong."
It comes after Mr Zekenskyy visited a number of European countries to appeal to leaders to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, which he described as "wings for freedom" in an address to the UK Parliament earlier this month.
After Mr Zelenskyy's address, it emerged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has asked Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to investigate what jets the UK could potentially give to Ukraine.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said it was a "long-term solution" and that "short-term capability" is what Kyiv needs most at the moment, a sentiment which has been echoed by the US.
President Zelenskyy's hopes for NATO members' jets to help fight back the Russian invasion would create "serious problems" for Poland, the nation's leader said in a backward step for Ukraine.
Warsaw leader Andrzej Duda told Laura Kuenssberg that handing the warring nation F-16 aircraft is a "very serious" decision that will be "not easy" to take.
