US must speed up delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine, insists former general

General Petraeus said Western governments need to “move past” attempts to block vital aid to Kiev Photo: Anadolu Agency

General Petraeus, who commanded the US troop buildup in Iraq in 2007, said Kiev could “change the dynamics” of the war if it proved it could cut the land bridge it had. between the Crimean Peninsula and other occupied territories.

But he hinted that Washington was undermining those prospects by wavering on some decisions, including the Ataks, which could be launched from the Himars missile system already delivered to Ukraine's armed forces. forces.

“I hope that… the United States will provide the Army with a tactical missile system that will double the range of what we have provided,” General Petraeus said.

“And I hope that this aircraft will be able to get into the arsenal earlier than currently predicted,” he added, referring to the F-16s promised to Kiev by Denmark and the Netherlands with the blessing of Washington.

General Petraeus expressed hope that the F-16s promised to Ukraine by the Netherlands will be sent in the near future. Photo: Piroshka van de Wouw

Additional long-range weapons will help Ukraine attack Russian fuel depots, ammunition stockpiles and troop concentrations, as well as aircraft. bases in the rear.

Kiev forces have recently used UK- and French-donated Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles to hit Russian positions deep behind the front line and disrupt Moscow's logistics chain.

< p>The damage to Russia's ability to resupply its forces on the front line has become a key tactic for Ukraine after it failed to mount a successful NATO-style combined arms offensive using Western-donated tanks and vehicles.

Ukraine has recently stepped up calls for F-16s for months to bolster its battle-scarred Soviet-era air force and bolster counteroffensive efforts.

But Washington, which holds licenses to export the planes, only recently authorized the donations , which means that the planes will arrive in Ukraine no earlier than next year.

General Petraeus called on Sweden to commit to providing its Gripen aircraft, which are better suited to operate on the difficult runways available to Ukrainian forces.

His statement came after a flurry of anonymous briefings from US officials criticizing the Ukrainian counter-offensive. in recent weeks they have argued that Kyiv had failed to employ standard NATO tactics.

But Ukraine's military leaders hit back, saying the Western alliance's latest experience was fighting insurgents in the Middle East. which they say does not lead to an ongoing battle against Moscow's advance.

General Petraeus, famous for authoring the US Army's counterinsurgency manual, said the «most important» question is whether «the » whether Russian defense. if Ukraine is able to break through the main fortification lines.

But Kiev's troops are fighting against an enemy that has to date «demonstrated superiority» in its ability to defend against a counter-offensive, he warned.