On Sunday, multiple reputable news agencies reported that the European Union “will provide” fighter aircraft to Ukraine. . .
#BREAKING EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell pic.twitter.com/tkmHfrhhlf
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 27, 2022
. . .and there were viral tweets like this one from a blue-check claiming the jets would arrive in Ukraine “within the hour” on Sunday:
BREAKING: The EU says fighter jets will be arriving in Ukraine within the hour
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) February 27, 2022
Well, Sunday and then Monday came and went but Ukraine still thought they were getting the jets today:
⚡️Ukraine to receive 70 fighter jets from the EU. Ukraine’s Air Force said on March 1.
Bulgaria will provide 16 MiG-29s and 14 Su-25s, Poland will provide 28 MiG-29 units, and Slovakia – 12 MiG-29s.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 1, 2022
But the latest news is that there will be no jets delivered at all:
UPDATE — Polish President Duda just said: "We are not going to send any [fighter] jets to the Ukrainian airspace" because "that would suggest an open military interference in the Ukrainian conflict." NATO is not a party to this conflict, Duda said.
— Hans von der Burchard (@vonderburchard) March 1, 2022
“Seems to be collapsing”?
EU promise on fighter jets seems to be collapsing. @SlovakiaMFA told me they would not be sending any jets at all. @PolandMFA and @Poland_MOD have refused to confirm, and Bulgaria has now publicly said it also won't. https://t.co/qY5ljFVisU
— David Brennan (@DavidBrennan100) March 1, 2022
It certainly looks like the deal is dead:
It's official – Europe won't transfer fighter planes to Ukraine. Poland decided not to, and Slovakian defense ministry spokesperson confirms to me just now: “Slovakia will not provide fighter jets to Ukraine."
— Paul McLeary (@paulmcleary) March 1, 2022
And looking back at the reporting from Sunday, it does appear there was quite a bit of wishcasting going on where “may include” fighter jets quickly turned into “the fighter jets are on the way in an hour”:
Jaw-dropping. Borrell says EU military package may include "supplying fighter jets" for Ukraine's air force, EU has spoken w/ Ukrainian foreign minister "about the type of jets the Ukrainian military needs" & there are "member states…able to supply them" https://t.co/hSTlGIrIdo pic.twitter.com/6RdT5rJKiT
— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) February 27, 2022
From Bloomberg on Sunday:
The EU’s military aid package may include supplying fighter jets for the Ukrainian air force, Borrell said. Borrell said the EU has already had discussions with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about the type of jets the Ukrainian military needs and there are member states that are able to supply them.
Member states that don’t want to be associated with contributing lethal weapons will be able to abstain or make a parallel contribution of non-lethal aid.
Who wants to tell him?
Why can’t the US provide Ukraine with fighter jets as the EU has just done?
— Bruno Maçães (@MacaesBruno) February 27, 2022
Blue-checks, do better:
You buy them from Poland and others and give them to Ukraine. Takes one hour. EU just did it
— Bruno Maçães (@MacaesBruno) February 27, 2022
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