'Jets will not change the course of war' - Estonian Defense Minister on priorities for Ukraine

According to him, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine should assess what weapons Ukrainian defenders currently need. However, Pevkur added that "in general, the Armed Forces of Ukraine need any kind of weapon."

"Of course, you need ammunition, primarily long-range missiles, ammunition for various types of MLRS, and so on. Jets are important, but jets alone will not change the course of the war. At the end of the day, you need an army that controls the territory and takes back the territory, because with jets you will not take back the territory," emphasized the head of the Estonian Ministry of Defense.

The minister also reminded that only 50 countries are willing to provide weapons to Ukraine for the war with Russia, which represents about 1 billion people.

"So this is one-seventh or a bit more of the world's population. So basically 20% of the globe is fighting for the values of the democratic world. So when you put this to that perspective, then you understand that there are still many, many countries who have not taken the position in the world," Pevkur explained.

For many countries worldwide, the minister specified, the war in Ukraine is not the most important issue. However, for Estonia, it is crucial because such events will change the European security structure in the coming years.

F-16s for Ukraine

Earlier, some allies agreed to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighters. Ukrainian pilots have already begun training to operate such aircraft in several countries.

The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway have pledged to supply at least 61 units of F-16s to Ukraine.

It is expected that the first fighters will be delivered in the spring of 2024, as noted by the spokesperson for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat.