The commanding General of the California National Guard is calling on the US and other Western officials to explore sending fighter jets to Ukraine as soon as possible.
Source: US General David Baldwin
“MiGs are the best immediate solution to support the Ukrainians, but U.S. or western fighters are options that should be explored as soon as possible.”
Baldwin told reporters that US military officials were working with Ukrainian counterparts on Kyiv’s request to Western countries for fighter jets to help repel Russia’s invasion.
According to him, there is a lot of good in the fact that Ukraine is interested in MiGs because its pilots know how to operate them. But if Ukrainians are going to use Western-type aircraft, the question arises about the numbers and types and capabilities of aircraft that may be available.
While “we are steering them toward those MiGs first,” there is also an “over-the-horizon” discussion of what aircraft will be needed in the future, Baldwin said.
Members of the California Guard, including pilots, communicate daily with Ukrainian soldiers and pilots to share tactics and ideas.
See also: More than 6,500 Ukrainians arrived in the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine program
