Finnish MP Urges To Return To Discussing Possibility Of Transferring Western Combat Aircraft To Ukraine

Finnish MP Anders Adlercreutz believes that Western countries need to again consider the possibility of transferring Western combat aircraft to Ukraine and training Ukrainian pilots in handling them.

Adlercreutz made the corresponding statement in an interview with Guildhall.

According to the Finnish MP, at the initial stage of the full-scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine, this issue was discussed quite actively. Western countries believed that the conflict would end quickly, so they would not have time to train Ukrainian pilots.

"Now I can say we were completely wrong in that regard... If we started training Ukrainian pilots back in March, they would have already flown Western planes at this time," Adlercreutz said.

The Finnish MP called for a return to consideration of the possibility of transferring combat aircraft of Western countries to Ukraine, similar to those that are now used by the armed forces of Eastern Europe.

Adlercreutz also noted that he regrets that Western countries could not begin to act on this issue earlier.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in early June, Major General David Baldwin, commander of the U.S. National Guard forces in California, called on U.S. and other Western officials to consider transferring MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as soon as possible.

And in the first half of March, a group of 40 U.S. senators appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden to transfer combat aircraft to Ukraine.

At the same time, the European Union at the initial stage of the Russian invasion said that the EU did not intend to transfer combat aircraft to Ukraine.