"Ukraine flies former Russian aircraft so to train on a Typhoon would likely take years. The only option would be for nations with former Russian aircraft to offer such aircraft, such as Poland," the source said, adding that the delivery of aircraft "was seen as being too escalatory."
According to the sources, London has "not ruled out" the delivery of longer-range precision missiles to Ukraine, but it was not being "considered" currently.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on NATO countries to "unlock" the supply of long-range missiles and military aircraft to Kiev. Yuriy Sak, the adviser to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, expressed his confidence in a phone conversation with Reuters that the West would eventually send F-16s and other military aircraft to Ukraine, saying "apart from nuclear weapons, there is nothing left that we will not get."
The White House on Wednesday also confirmed the delivery of 31 Abrams tanks and eight M88 recovery vehicles to Ukraine; however, when asked about potential aircraft shipments, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby indicated such a delivery was not presently in the works.
26 January 2023, 00:24 GMT
Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there on February 24, 2022, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.