German opposition leader Merz calls for fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's opposition CDU party, urges the country to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, saying the air sovereignty is crucial to defend against escalating Russian missile attacks on civilian targets.

Jul 15, 2024 - 07:54

German opposition leader Merz calls for fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, has called for Germany to supply fighter jets to Ukraine to aid in its defense against Russian aggression. Speaking on ARD on 14 July, Merz emphasized the need to help Ukraine restore sovereignty over its airspace, DW reports.

Germany is one of Ukraine’s strongest allies amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Berlin has donated various weapons and matériel, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and air defense systems. However, the donations do not include long-range missiles or aircraft.

Merz argued that ground-based air defenses alone are insufficient to counter the increasing Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

“I think we have to help Ukraine at least regain sovereignty over its own airspace. Because these missile attacks, which are happening more and more now, on infrastructure, on electricity and water supply facilities, on hospitals and nursing homes, cannot be controlled only from the ground,” Merz said, adding: “We Germans cannot remain on the sidelines,” he said, noting that many countries, including those in the EU, have already decided to provide combat aircraft to Ukraine.

According to open sources, the German Bundeswehr currently operates two types of combat aircraft: the multi-role combat aircraft MRCA PA-200 Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Statistics from the Statista portal rank Germany 19th globally in terms of fighter jet numbers, with 133 aircraft. The United States leads with 1,854 fighters, followed by China with 1,207 and Russia with 809.

This week, at the NATO summit in Washington, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that Denmark and the Netherlands have begun transferring American F-16 fighters to Ukraine, with the aircraft expected to appear in Ukrainian skies sometime during this summer. Additionally, Norway has announced plans to transfer six F-16s to Ukraine this year.

Currently, the total number of pledged F-16s is about 80, according to various media reports. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously stated that Ukraine needs at least 128 F-16 fighters to effectively defend its airspace.

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