US on deal with Poland to supply Ukraine Soviet warplanes

Washington: The United States is reportedly working on a deal with Poland to provide Soviet-era warplanes to Ukraine, supporting Kyiv's defences against advancing Russia, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported citing US media.

AFP reports that more than one media outlet in the US reported that officials told them of a deal in which Poland will supply the Soviet warplanes and US's will give Poland American F-16 fighter jets in return. A source from the White House said that the US is consulting the rest of their NATO allies, as per reports from Wall Street Journal and NBC.

While hundreds of Ukrainian civilians were reported in 10 days of the Russian offensive, shooting up the economic and humanitarian toll, aid is reportedly flowing into Ukraine from allies in the West. This includes weapons, ammunition and funds.

While requesting more military assistance, such as warplanes from the West, Zelenskyy had pleaded to Ukraine's Eastern European neighbours for Russian-made planes that his pilots are trained to fly. He had asked the US lawmakers through a video call on Saturday to continue funding Ukraine and requested a ban on oil imports from Russia.

After the call with Zelensky, US Senator Rob Portman said that the urgency of the US and its allies to support the freedom of the people of Ukraine has never been greater. "We must eliminate every obstacle to providing every measure of support to Ukraine to include finding a way for the United States to compensate our Eastern European partners who wish to donate their Soviet-style aircraft to Ukraine. There is no time to lose," Portman said in a statement.

US legislators also promised a 10 billion US dollar aid package. But US administration is not planning the oil ban as it might shoot prices and strike Americans hard as they are already facing record inflation.

Last week, the US administration had authorised military equipment worth 350 million US dollars for Ukraine, the largest of such a package in US history.