Czech fighter jet transfer to Ukraine faces political dispute
Jaromír Zuna (photo: Getty Images)
In Czechia, the coalition party Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and Defense Minister Jaromír Zuna do not support selling L-159 combat aircraft to Ukraine, SPD leader and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura said, Ceske Noviny reports.
Arguments of the deal's opponents
According to Okamura, the aircraft have low residual value but retain high combat value. He stressed that purchasing replacements would cost Czechia significantly more than selling these aircraft.
"These are not decommissioned planes, but part of the army's armament. In any case, we would have to buy new ones," he said.
Position of President Pavel
Czech President Petr Pavel previously stated that Ukraine is interested in acquiring L-159 aircraft, which could become an opportunity for the Czech aircraft manufacturer. According to him, transferring four aircraft out of the 24 operated by the Czech army represents an acceptable level of risk.
Disagreements within the government
Okamura claims that during his visit to Ukraine, President Pavel did not coordinate this position with the government, which, unlike the previous cabinet led by Petr Fiala, is not inclined to allocate funds for weapons to Ukraine. He also said that information about the aircraft was partially distorted in Ukrainian media.
According to Okamura, Defense Minister Jaromír Zuna also opposes the sale of the L-159.
What is known about the possible use of the aircraft
Ukrainian media previously reported that during his stay in Ukraine, Petr Pavel spoke about the possible provision of several small aircraft to counter drones, as well as assistance in early warning systems and energy support. He did not specify which aircraft were being discussed.
However, according to media reports, the aircraft in question may be the light attack L-159. What is known about them is covered in an RBC-Ukraine article.
