The US will give the green light to allies looking to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and will help train Ukrainian pilots to fly the plane, paving the way for one of the most significant improvements in Kiev’s military capabilities since Russia fully deployed it pave invasion last year.
President Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Friday that Washington will support a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots and later equip the country’s air force with F-16s and other fourth-generation fighter jets, a US official said.
The US move is a diplomatic victory for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will plead for more military support when he attends the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, this weekend.
Zelenskyy welcomed a “historic decision” by the White House. “This will significantly strengthen our army in the sky,” he said on Twitter.
Washington views the effort as part of ensuring Ukraine has what it needs to bolster its capabilities and defend itself over the long term. It is unlikely that the US will supply Kiev with its own F-16s.
“As the training takes place over the coming months, our coalition of countries participating in this action will decide when we will actually provide jets, how many we will provide and who will provide them,” said a senior administration official.
Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan dismissed suggestions that the US had changed policy. He said the US decided which weapons were most appropriate at different stages of the conflict.
“We have come to a point where it is time to look ahead and say what Ukraine will need as part of its future course to deter and defend against Russian aggression in the future can,” Sullivan said. “F-16s and fourth-generation fighters are part of the solution.”
Zelenskyy has been urging his allies for months to provide modern fighter jets to bolster Ukraine’s weakened air force, which relies on outdated Soviet-built fighter jets that are inferior to Russian fighter jets. Kiev has its sights set on the F-16, a Lockheed Martin-built multirole fighter used by several Western militaries.
But Washington had long resisted the delivery of F-16s, arguing that they were not a priority for Ukraine and that they could prompt Moscow to escalate the war.
However, Ukraine’s efforts to assemble a coalition of countries willing to deliver F-16s quickly gained momentum this week as Britain, France, the Netherlands and other allies said they would begin training Ukrainian pilots.
Training is now expected to take place in Europe, involving the US and possibly several other partners. The process could take several months and Western jets are unlikely to take to Ukrainian skies any time soon, meaning they will not help support an upcoming counter-offensive against Russian forces.
The US official said: “President Biden is sending a strong signal that the United States and our allies and partners are fully united in ensuring that Ukraine remains sovereign, independent, secure and capable of fighting back.” to defend and deter future attacks.”
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said the jets would be Zelenskyi’s main talking point in Japan.
“The air platform should be part of Ukraine’s air defenses,” Reznikov told the Financial Times. “Air defense is our number one priority.”
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The F-16s would bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, allowing it to support ground operations while challenging Russia’s frontline tactical air superiority. A lot will depend on which weapon systems Western partners are willing to supply.
The Netherlands is phasing out its F-16s and could potentially become one of Ukraine’s largest suppliers. Denmark and Belgium also have F-16s.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte welcomed the US announcement on Friday, saying the “modalities will be worked out in the coming weeks”.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who led the fighter jet coalition and pledged to train Ukrainian pilots, said his country would work with the US and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark “to provide Ukraine with the fighter jet capabilities it needs.” .