Feb. 17 (UPI) -- European Union member states are being urged to seriously consider sending modern fighter jets to Ukraine, as the war-torn country continues to call on ally nations to commit to donating the advanced weaponry.
Since the war began nearly a year ago, Ukraine has been armed by democratic nations in its fight against Russia, and Kyiv has incrementally increased its ask as the conflict prolongs.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and his defense officials have turned their demands to F-16 fighter jets after securing commitments for tanks from the United States, Germany and others earlier this year.
Leaders have been reluctant to arm Ukraine with fighter jets over fears of escalating the war, but Kyiv continues its campaign, stating they will protect its skies and civilian infrastructure from Russia attacks.
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However, the effort may soon achieve results as on Thursday, the EU Parliament passed a resolution to mark the one-year anniversary of the war on Feb. 24, which reaffirms their support for providing military assistance to Ukraine and calls for "serious consideration" from member states to supply it with Western fighter jets and helicopters, along with appropriate missile systems.
The mostly symbolic resolution, which passed 444 in favor to 26 against, with 37 abstentions, also moves for the adoption of its 10th sanctions package against Russia.
The package was unveiled Wednesday by President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, that includes export bans worth more than $11.7 billion to Moscow's critical technology and industrial goods economy.
Dual-use and advanced technology goods, including new electronics components that can be used in weapons systems, will also be targeted with export bands, which will be extended, for the first time, to third country entities, specifically seven Iranian entities.
"With this, we have banned all tech products found on the battlefield," von der Leyen said Wednesday. "And we will make sure they don't find other ways to get there."
A list of accused Russian propagandists as well as additional military and political commanders is also being proposed for blacklisting.
The Thursday resolution also urges member states to make the sanctions already in place more effective, while calling for a legal regime that states confiscated assets from Russian oligarchs and those sanctioned can be used to reconstruct Ukraine.
That legal regime will also seek to have Russia compensate the victims of its war while ensuring that "once the war ends, Russia must be obliged to pay reparations imposed on it to ensure that it makes a substantial contribution" to Ukraine's reconstruction.
The vote was held after European leaders gathered for a summit in Kyiv earlier this month, with von der Leyen stating they plan to unveil a new sanctions package.
