In February 2022, #Russia invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Surprisingly to most experts, Ukrainian resistance has been strong in pushing back against Vladimir Putin's aggressive campaign to batter Ukraine into submission.

Ukraine is reliant on international support to supply their war efforts, primarily from the U.S. and some European countries. A key area in the war is the battle for air superiority, another area that Russia has struggled despite investing a massive amount of rubles to modernize the Russian Air Force. The fight for air superiority continues today, even though the Ukraine Air Force is outnumbered and tries to make do with mostly older fighter jets. 

All of this has led Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy to request modern aircraft from #NATO. As of February 2023, NATO has supplied Ukraine with an estimated $80 billion worth of military and financial support, and in March 2023 Poland and Slovakia were the first NATO countries to announce they would deliver some fighter jets. 

The debate of whether to send more fighter jets is a delicate and complicated matter. On one hand, air superiority is important in helping Ukraine stand up against the most extensive and vicious assault on the peace of Europe since the end of World War II.

On the other hand, if enough tact isn’t applied to managing this request, the situation could escalate even further, altering the international political landscape as we know it. Some believe that even after providing more modern fighter jets, Ukraine will not be able to hasten an end to the war. Providing U.S. jets may also result in Russia striking back with light or full nuclear weapons, which could lead into a broader world war. There are also tactical issues, such as a shortage of skilled Ukrainian pilots that need training.  

All of this brings us back to the question, should the U.S. provide fighter jets to Ukraine?