In the scramble for equipment to aid in the war against Russia, Ukraine is continuing to call for fighter jets, despite several allies — the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany — saying they will not provide them. But some think that approach could change. President Biden’s blunt “no” when asked if he would send F-16s on Monday was met with skepticism at the Pentagon, with one official telling The Washington Post that the fighter jets could be “M1-ed” — referring to Biden’s decision to send M1 Abrams tanks after resisting for several months.
In Ukraine, fierce fighting continues in Bakhmut as Russia attempts to encircle the city, located in a hotly contested area in the eastern part of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing for a summit with the European Union on Friday, saying in his nightly address on Tuesday that “this week will be a week of European integration in every sense of the word.”
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
4. From our correspondents
Ukraine intel chief predicted Russia’s war. He says Crimea will be retaken: Ukraine’s military intelligence boss, Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, was one of the only top Ukrainian officials who accurately predicted Russia would invade the country. Early last year, his insights were dismissed, but now, the 37-year-old’s words carry great weight with top Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky.
In an interview with Ukraine bureau chief Isabelle Khurshudyan, Budanov had more predictions for the year: that Russia will focus on eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions and will avoid nuclear weapons and, notably, that annexed Crimea would be returned to Ukraine. “It all started in Crimea in 2014, and it will all end there,” he said.
*This story has not been edited by The Infallible staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.
