Bipartisan group of US lawmakers urges Biden to send fighter jets to Ukraine
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February 17, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Amy Woodyatt, Hannah Strange, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Matt Meyer, Tori B. Powell and Elise Hammond, CNN

Updated 0314 GMT (1114 HKT) February 18, 2023
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10:47 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

Bipartisan group of US lawmakers urges Biden to send fighter jets to Ukraine

From CNN's Lauren Fox

An F-16C Fighting Falcon flies by at the Nevada Test and Training Range September 14, 2007.
An F-16C Fighting Falcon flies by at the Nevada Test and Training Range September 14, 2007. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A group of five bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, requesting his administration send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

The effort by members likely won’t change anything or impact the administration’s decisions in what it sends to Ukraine, but it comes just ahead of the one-year anniversary of the war’s start and President Joe Biden's trip to Poland.

The letter was signed by Reps. Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine; Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas; Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado; Chrissy Houlahan, a Democrat from Pennsylvania; and Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin. 

“It is in that spirit of leadership and support that we write to respectfully request that your Administration provide Ukraine with increased air superiority capability, including the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft requested by Kiev, or similar fourth-generation aircraft, as soon as possible. The provision of such aircraft is necessary to help Ukraine protect its airspace, particularly in light of renewed Russian offensives and considering the expected increase in large-scale combat operations,” the letter says.

Some background: Since securing pledges for hundreds of modern battle tanks from Western allies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has turned his attention to modern fighting planes.

It was a key element of his pitches during visits to London and a European Union summit last week.

Asked last month whether the US would be providing the US-made F-16 to Ukraine, Biden responded with a flat “no,” though he later said talks with Kyiv about weapon supplies are ongoing.

10:18 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

Belarus ready to start production of Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft, Lukashenko says

From CNN's Radina Gigova

Belarus is ready to launch the production of Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft, which "have proved to be efficient in Ukraine," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting Friday, according to Belarus state news agency BelTA.

“As I was informed by the government, they are ready for the production of the Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft that have proved to be efficient in Ukraine. We are even ready to produce them in Belarus if the Russian Federation provides a little bit of technological support,” Lukashenko told Putin, according to BelTA. 

“You once raised the question of cooperation in aircraft production in the Eurasian Economic Union," Lukashenko said, according to BelTA. "So I should tell you that the Belarusians are already producing up to a thousand component parts for the MC-21 [Russia's medium-range narrow-body passenger aircraft] and Sukhoi Superjet 100 [Russia's short-range narrow-body passenger aircraft]."

"We have three factories: two military and one civilian. They used to be repair shops. Today they produce component parts,” Lukashenko said, according to BelTA.

The two met Friday at Putin's official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo in the Moscow region, according to the Kremlin. 

Lukashenko claimed on Thursday there is “no way” his country would send troops into Ukraine unless it is attacked, and said Russia has “never asked” him to start a joint war in Ukraine.

Speaking at a small gathering of journalists from international media, including CNN, at Minsk’s Palace of Independence, Lukashenko ducked questions from international media about his country’s complicity in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and instead blamed the West for escalating the conflict by sending weapons to Ukraine. 

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen and Zahra Ullah contributed to this post.

10:31 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urges allies to "act quickly" to deliver tanks to Ukraine 

From CNN’s Duarte Mendonca in London and Claire Calzonetti in New York

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the 59th Munich Security Conference on February 17, in Munich, Germany.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the 59th Munich Security Conference on February 17, in Munich, Germany. (Sven Hoppe/picture alliance/Getty Images)

Allies with the resources to deliver tanks to Ukraine should act quickly, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, adding that Berlin would provide great assistance to encourage their partners. 

“I see this as an example of the kind of leadership which everyone is entitled to expect from Germany, and I expressly offer it to our friends and partners.” Scholz said.

In addition to supplying weapons, ammunition, training for soldiers and other military goods, Scholz said Germany has supported Ukraine by providing more than one million Ukrainian refugees with full access to labor market, schools and universities.

This is the "responsibility which a country of Germany's size, location and economic clout has to shoulder in times such as these,” Scholz said.

However, Scholz also warned that there needs to be “a balance between providing the best possible support for Ukraine and avoiding an unintended escalation.” 

“I believe we will do well to carefully weigh up all the consequences of our actions and closely coordinate all key steps among the allies," he said. "Despite all the pressure to take action — and that undoubtedly exists in this key question — caution must take priority over hasty decisions.”

 

10:14 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

"There is no alternative to Ukrainian victory," President Zelensky tells Munich Security Conference

From CNN’s Alex Hardie in London

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears on the screen during the Munich Security Conference, in Munich, Germany, on February 17.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears on the screen during the Munich Security Conference, in Munich, Germany, on February 17. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told world leaders at the Munich Security Conference on Friday that “there is no alternative to Ukrainian victory" as he continued to lobby for his country's admission to the EU and NATO.

“There is no alternative to Ukraine in the EU. There is no alternative to Ukraine in NATO. There is no alternative to our unity,“ Zelensky said via video.

People, Europe and freedom cannot be the “subject of compromise,” he added.

Zelensky told leaders that he hopes that in upcoming years, the conference will be held in post-war conditions where Ukraine is free.

The Ukrainian leader also provided his assessment on Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy, saying “it’s obvious that Ukraine is not going to be his last stop. He’s going to continue his movement all the way — I don’t know — including all other states that at some point in time were part of … the Soviet bloc.”

 

8:46 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

Zelensky urges world leaders to "hurry up" with agreements, delivery and decisions

From CNN’s Alex Hardie

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged leaders Friday at the Munich Security Conference Friday to “hurry up” with agreements, delivery and decisions.

“We need to hurry up. We need the speed, the speed of our agreements, speed of our delivery to strengthen […] speed of our decisions to limit Russian potential. There is no alternative to speed because it is the speed that the life depends on,” Zelensky said at the conference via videolink. 

“Delay has always been and still is a mistake. While we negotiate how to strengthen our defense with modern tanks, the Kremlin is thinking, thinking about ways to strangle Moldova,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky opened the conference with other world leaders set to speak including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. 

Remember: In recent weeks, Zelensky and other top Ukrainian officials have been pushing for fighter jets, arguing they need them urgently to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks. Earlier this month, the Ukrainian government officially asked the Netherlands for American-made F-16 fighter jets.

 

8:31 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

Russian President Putin to discuss military cooperation with Belarusian President Lukashenko 

From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he plans to discuss mutual plans of military cooperation with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko during their Friday meeting at Putin’s official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow.

Lukashenko, in turn, said that Belarus has fulfilled its obligations to Russia in the sphere of security and defense in 2022.

Remember: Russia used the territory of Belarus as one of its entry points for the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Joint military drills over the last year between Belarus and Russia have contributed to concerns that Belarusian troops could join Russia's forces in Ukraine, but Lukashenko has repeatedly dismissed speculation that his troops would join the fighting in Ukraine.

This includes a rare press conference from the Belarusian strongman in Minsk on Thursday, where he said he would not send troops to Ukraine unless Belarus is attacked, but also defiantly declared that Russia is a staunch ally of his country.   

8:15 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

Russia "unlikely" to capture symbolic city of Bakhmut by invasion anniversary, researchers say

From CNN's Tim Lister, Radina Gigova and Kostan Nechyporenko

Black smoke rises after shelling in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on February 3.
Black smoke rises after shelling in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on February 3. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images)

It is "unlikely" that Russian forces will meet the goal of capturing the symbolic city of Bakhmut by the one-year anniversary of the invasion, according to an assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) published Thursday.

Capturing Bakhmut by February 24 "would require a significantly higher rate of Russian advance than anything seen for many months," researchers said.

They had previously assessed that the Ukrainian defense of Bakhmut "would likely prevent Putin from claiming that Russian forces secured the city on the anniversary of the invasion in an attempt to renew hope in a Russian victory in Ukraine."

The think tank warns that the Kremlin may launch "another series of missile strikes on civilian targets throughout Ukraine to mark the symbolic anniversary as actual military success continues to evade the Russian military."

A Ukrainian military spokesperson said Thursday that Russian forces have reinforced their presence around Bakhmut through different units — air defense, special forces, mechanized infantry and private military contractor group Wagner — but Ukrainian units continue to try to prevent the city from falling into Russian hands.

Ukrainian servicemen fire an anti-aircraft gun towards Russian positions on a frontline near the town of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on January 15.
Ukrainian servicemen fire an anti-aircraft gun towards Russian positions on a frontline near the town of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on January 15. (Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters)

But "time will tell" how much Russia is able to gain by February 24, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said Thursday on Ukrainian television. "Our soldiers have been fighting for many months ... For more than seven months, Bakhmut has become an absolute symbol of heroism and courage."

7:34 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

US Vice President Kamala Harris is set to join world leaders at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where the war in Ukraine will be at the top of the agenda.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron will be among those speaking Friday, the first day of the three-day summit, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will appear by videolink.

The conference comes just days ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Catch up on the latest developments:

  • Soaring energy costs could push millions into extreme poverty, report says: The energy crisis triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine could push 141 million people worldwide into extreme poverty, according to a report published Thursday in the journal Nature Energy. Researchers modeled the impacts of increased energy prices in 116 countries and found household spending increased up to 4.8% on average, as coal and natural gas prices surged after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, adding to post-pandemic increases.
  • Russian shelling kills 3 and injures 7 in Kherson region: Three people were killed and seven were injured by Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kherson region on Thursday, the Kherson region military administration said in a statement Friday. Russian forces attacked the Kherson region 76 times over the last 24 hours, the regional military administration said. "They fired from MLRS, mortars, artillery, tanks and UAVs," it added.
  • Russian shelling kills 5, injures 10 in Donetsk region: Meanwhile, Russian shelling killed 5 residents of the Donetsk region and injured 10 others over the last 24 hours, the Donetsk region military governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said in a Facebook post Friday. The deaths occurred in the area of Horlivka, while the majority of the injuries occurred in the city of Bakhmut, Kyrylenko said.
  • Kremlin says Washington "unlikely" to welcome Lukashenko’s suggestion of three-way summit with Putin and Biden: The Kremlin said Friday that Washington is “unlikely” to welcome the initiative put forward by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to mediate talks between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Thursday, Lukashenko said he wants to host peace talks, calling on CNN to relay the message.

6:33 a.m. ET, February 17, 2023

In photos: Ukrainians securing remains of Russian missile

From CNN Digital's Photo Team

Russia launched a total of 36 air and sea-based cruise missiles, guided air-to-surface missiles and anti-ship missiles at Ukraine overnight into Thursday, according to Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Zaluzhnyi said 14 cruise missiles and 2 guided air-to-surface missiles were shot down by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The pictures below show a Ukrainian emergency services team securing the remains of an S-300 missile fired by Russian forces in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Friday.

Here's a look:

Ukrainian emergency services employees prepare to load the remains of an S-300 missile fired by Russian forces onto a truck in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 17.
Ukrainian emergency services employees prepare to load the remains of an S-300 missile fired by Russian forces onto a truck in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 17. (Vadim Ghirda/AP)

Ukrainian emergency services employees push the remains of an S-300 missile fired by Russian forces onto a truck in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 17.
Ukrainian emergency services employees push the remains of an S-300 missile fired by Russian forces onto a truck in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 17. (Vadim Ghirda/AP)

A Ukrainian emergency services employee uses a rope to secure the remains of an S-300 missile fired by Russian forces in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 17.
A Ukrainian emergency services employee uses a rope to secure the remains of an S-300 missile fired by Russian forces in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 17. (Vadim Ghirda/AP)