By Maighna Nanu
Feb 14
Poland’s defence minister has said that talks on Ukraine receiving F-16 jets are likely to bear fruit.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Mariusz Blaszczak said: “We are aware that our potential in this area is limited, because we have only 48 F-16 aircraft, but the allies have much more potential, so I think that this conversation will… end with positive decisions.”
“You just have to apply pressure,” he said.
His comments come as Nato defence ministers convene at a two-day meeting.
Poland’s defence minister has said that talks on Ukraine receiving F-16 jets are likely to bear fruit.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Mariusz Blaszczak said: “We are aware that our potential in this area is limited, because we have only 48 F-16 aircraft, but the allies have much more potential, so I think that this conversation will… end with positive decisions.”
“You just have to apply pressure,” he said.
His comments come as Nato defence ministers convene at a two-day meeting.
Moldovan airspace reopened
Moldova on Tuesday closed its airspace for over two hours citing safety and security reasons, authorities said, amid tensions between the former Soviet republic and Russia.
The development comes a day after Moldova’s president Maia Sandu accused Russia of plotting to violently overthrow the country’s pro-European leadership with the help of saboteurs disguised as anti-government protesters.
“Moldova’s airspace was temporarily closed at 11:24 am (0924 GMT), 14 February, in order to assure the safety and security of civil aviation,” Moldova’s Civil Aviation Authority said in a press release.
“At 14:47 pm (1247 GMT) the airspace was re-opened,” it added, without giving further details.
The country’s national airline had also said earlier Tuesday that Moldova’s airspace was closed.
A Moldovan newspaper reported that “a foreign drone” was “flying without permission”.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky last week told a European Union summit that Kyiv had “intercepted the plan for the destruction of Moldova by Russian intelligence”.
Russia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday denied Moldova’s accusations as “completely unfounded and unsubstantiated”.