Biden is still thinking about the F-16
The US has previously refused to provide fighter jets to Ukraine because they were not “critical” to an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive, but conditions are changing.
US President Joe Biden has yet to make a final decision on whether the United States will hand over F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine itself or allies will, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN on Sunday.
On CNN’s State of the Union, Sullivan was asked if the US would send planes directly to Ukraine.
“I think given the number of F-16s that are now available in our European allies’ warehouses, and based on the money that Congress has given us, there are so many other system priorities that can be provided, perhaps we are more We will focus on a third party handover, but the President has not yet made a final decision,” Sullivan said.
The US has previously refused to provide fighter jets to Ukraine because they were not “critical” to an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive, he said, but conditions are changing.
“The United States has mobilized an exceptional effort to provide Ukraine with everything it needs to launch this counteroffensive on time and in full. Now that we have done this, we can look forward to the long-term ability of Ukraine to defend itself and deter Russian aggression. Fourth generation fighters, Western fighters
F-16s are essential to this fight,” Sullivan said.
Recall that at the initial stage, several dozen Western F-16 fighters may be transferred to Ukraine.
Biden confirmed his agreement to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets during talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Japan. Biden said he received a “firm assurance” from the Ukrainian president that the F-16s would not be used for attacks on Russian soil.
