Kyiv's hopes were dashed Tuesday after its biggest military supporter, the United States, ruled out sending fighter jets to Ukraine.
When reporters asked Monday whether he would send F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv, U.S. President Joe Biden gave reporters a one-word answer: "No." Biden's comments come a day after his German counterpart, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, also ruled out sending jets to Ukraine.
The U.S. and Germany last week gave the greenlight to send modern battle tanks to Ukraine after months of pleas from Kyiv.
Within hours of when it heard news that it would receive Western tanks, the Ukrainian government renewed its calls for fighter jets such as the U.S.' F-16s. Kyiv said it needs all the firepower it could get sooner rather than later.
Ukraine's defense minister is expected to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday as differences appear to be emerging between allies over fighter jets.
Macron said Monday that fighter jets for Ukraine are "not excluded. But he added that there would be conditions attached to any offer, including that the craft would "not be likely to hit Russian soil but purely to aid the resistance effort."
Poland has also signaled its willingness to send such weaponry but said it would act in "full coordination" with its allies while Lithuania has urged NATO to give Ukraine all the weapons it needs. The Netherlands has said it is willing to consider any request for F-16s.