Kyiv clamors for fighter jets as war nears ‘critical’ phase

Ukraine on Tuesday renewed its appeal to Western countries for fighter jets to help frustrate Moscow’s almost year-long invasion, but won no assurances at a high-level defense meeting in Brussels that it would receive any combat aircraft.

“I don’t have any announcements on aircraft to make today,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters after chairing a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact group at NATO headquarters, where 54 countries were represented.