Zelensky's Fighter Jet Coalition Depends on Russian Advancement

"[The West's] support depends on [Russia's] success," said Viktor Litovkin. "If we block the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine, and this is possible, [we will be able to scale it down – Sputnik]. It is necessary to destroy the transport infrastructure of Ukraine, the border transport infrastructure, the transport infrastructure in the Carpathian Mountains, large railway junctions in Lvov, for example, and in Kiev. If we destroy the Kiev railway station, then these old politicians from the European Union will not be able to come to Kiev. Neither Zelensky will be able to make tours across Europe."

Last week, Zelensky claimed that Ukraine needed more time before kicking off its much-discussed counteroffensive because it was awaiting the military equipment promised by NATO member states. The Ukrainian president met with leaders in Italy, Vatican, Germany, France, and the UK, who promised to provide the Kiev regime with more shells, missiles, armored vehicles, and drones.

In particular, Berlin announced a weapons package worth $2.95 billion for Ukraine, which includes 30 Leopard 1 A5 tanks, 18 self-propelled howitzers, Marder armored personnel carriers and other combat vehicles, two hundred reconnaissance drones, as well as IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft systems. For its part, France promised to provide tens of armored vehicles and light tanks including AMX-10RC. London vowed to equip the Kiev regime with "hundreds of air defense missiles and further unmanned aerial systems including hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200 km," according to the UK government's statement.

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West's Dragging Feet Over Provision NATO Aircraft to Zelensky

Meanwhile, the Zelensky regime is continuing to ask for more. As per the Ukrainian president, the main goal of his latest European tour was securing more fighter jets from his allies. "We are currently working on the creation of a fighter jet coalition, and my visits to European capitals are partly aimed at this," Zelensky told journalists during his trip. Earlier, it was reported that the Kiev regime's Western partners had sent several dozen Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine, but fell short of providing advanced NATO aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force.

"In order to supply [NATO] warplanes to Ukraine, it is necessary to at least train pilots to fly these planes, to land, to attack, to conduct air combat, and to strike at ground targets," said Litovkin. "It is also necessary to have infrastructure for aircraft: airfields, runways, command towers, control rooms, and radar stations. It is necessary to have technical and operational centers where aircraft are prepared for departure and serviced after departure; as well as special high pressure plants, special grades of refined aviation kerosene and so on; factories for the repair of these aircraft. A lot of things need to be done, because the aviation infrastructure is very cumbersome, expensive, and extensive. There is no such infrastructure in Ukraine. As far as I know, the main airfields in Ukraine are, to put it mildly, damaged; in reality, they are destroyed. You can't land there, you can't take off."

Hypothetically, Western aircraft could be deployed in Poland, in Romania, somewhere in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and take off from there, suggested Litovkin. Still, the major problem is that neither the US nor its Western allies are interested in their warplanes being shot down by Russian missiles, the military expert noted. He projected that Washington and its European allies would resist sending their aircraft to Ukraine until the very last moment. Moreover, these potential warplane deliveries depend on the advancement of Russian troops, according to the retired colonel.

"If our troops move forward faster, then there will be no time in the West to supply aircraft to Ukraine, because there will be nowhere to supply them," he said. "That depends on our political and military leadership. Not so much from the West, but from our leadership."

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West Needs Ukrainian Counteroffensive More Than Kiev

The West still has the capability of arming the Kiev regime with various types of weapons, according to Litovkin.

"Naturally, rich countries can afford [equipping the Ukrainian military]," the expert said. "They have factories, and their military-industrial complexes are working. They can do it all. Then they have a lot of weapons accumulated in warehouses. There is talk that they are missing something, it's not quite right. When they say that they lack something, it is a signal: 'give us more money, we will produce more weapons.'"

However, if Russia continues to destroy Western military equipment on a massive scale, the West's enthusiasm will start to wane, according to the retired colonel.

Apparently, therefore, the US and its European allies are hastening Zelensky to launch the counteroffensive. "They must report to their voters or to their taxpayers that sending a huge amount of weapons and money to Ukraine has not been in vain," Litovkin remarked. In fact, the West needs the much discussed Ukrainian advancement even more than the Kiev regime, according to him.

"Zelensky and his government understand that the offensive in its current form could end disastrously for Ukraine," Litovkin said. "Because if there are no planes, no air cover, no fighter-bombers, no attack aircraft, no attack helicopters, which should cover armored vehicles on the offensive (…) then all this equipment is open to attacks by enemy aircraft, missiles, artillery, and so on. Therefore, Zelensky understands that this is suicide for him, he cannot go anywhere. But they tell him: 'We paid you, go ahead, and comply with our will.' And he has to do this. Therefore, I think that, on the one hand, the West is primarily interested in the [counteroffensive], and, on the other hand, Zelensky thinks that, probably, all of a sudden, it could work."

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Zelensky's Bravado is Part of West's PR Stunt

Against this backdrop, Zelensky's bravado in Europe is aimed at demonstrating to the Western public that the Kiev regime feels confident, according to the military analyst.

"Firstly, it's a demonstration that he, the head of a warring country, can travel around Europe, visit the leadership of certain leading European countries, and show to them that Ukraine will win victories one after another. (…) This is sort of a demonstration of Ukrainian victory. It even looks like [a PR stunt] for the media: 'Look, we feel calm and confident.'"

Nonetheless, the US and European leadership are hailing Zelensky's tour and the Kiev regime's readiness to fight to the last Ukrainian as visible success of the Western project, Litovkin concluded.