Ukraine: No immediate transfer of UK fighter jets - Wallace

There will be no immediate transfer of UK fighter jets to Ukraine, the defence secretary has said.

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky renewed his call for fighter jets during a visit to the UK on Wednesday - his first since the Russian invasion.

Ben Wallace told the BBC that supplying aircraft to use in the conflict would potentially take months.

The defence secretary said the UK was instead focused on using alternative provision of air cover to Ukraine.

Speaking at a conference in Rome, Mr Wallace said air support and supporting moving troops could be achieved by using long-range missiles and drones.

He said it was "more realistic and more productive" to envisage the UK providing Ukraine with aircraft in the long term to ensure its security after the war with Russia has ended.

"This is not a simple case of towing an aircraft to the border," Mr Wallace told the BBC.

"Britain knows what Ukraine needs and is very happy to help in many ways trying to achieve the effect.

"Those same effects can be done, but potentially through a different way - and without taking months, which of course gifting fighter jets would take," he said.

Mr Wallace said he had a duty to ensure the UK and Nato had the aircraft needed for their own defence.

He also dismissed suggestions made by former prime minister Boris Johnson that the UK could provide 100 Typhoon warplanes. Typhoons are made by a coalition of different countries and their permission would be needed before sending them on to Ukraine, he said.

He added that the Typhoons which would most likely be supplied are only equipped for air to air combat, and not suitable for ground attack.

President Zelensky addressed the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday morning and is expected to ask EU leaders for more weaponry and fighter jets later.

Earlier this year, the UK announced it would send 14 battle tanks to Ukraine.