Talks are currently underway between Ukraine and allies in the West about the possibility of sending robots and fighter jets to the country, a Ukrainian government official told AP.

Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, says in an interview with the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda that 200 combat aircraft are needed to effectively defend the country.

Ukraine has been subjected to extensive Russian robot attacks, and fighter jets are a key to preventing new attacks, says Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, to SVT Nyheter.

The Netherlands has already opened the door to sending phased-out F-16s to Ukraine, but approval is required from the manufacturer, the United States.

Red lines

The US has so far drawn a red line on sending fighter jets, something that President Joe Biden repeated on Tuesday.

Neither does Germany, which finally approved shipments of the Leopard 2 tank, want to contribute combat aircraft.

But sources tell the news site Politico that US military officials are lobbying for the Pentagon to provide Ukraine with fighter jets.

- We have seen during the course of the war how the red lines have been moved forward all the time.

Ukraine has proven to be capable of using these weapons systems that it has received in a competent manner, and then the West will be more inclined to provide more advanced and heavier weapons, says Arash Heydarian Pashakhanlou, associate professor of military science at the Defense Academy.

In February, defense ministers of Ukraine's allied countries will meet again at the American military base Ramstein in Germany - and then a discussion about combat aircraft is expected to be on the agenda.

"2024 at the earliest"

Ukraine has specifically requested fighter jets of the F-16 model, which are already part of the air forces of several of the allied countries.

Even if a decision were to be made in the coming weeks, logistics and training efforts will delay any shipments.

- I would say that in 2024 at the earliest, we can see Western fighter jets in Ukraine, says Pashakhanlou.