The likelihood of US transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is gradually increasing. Such an opinion on Sunday, February 19, on the air of the TV channel CNN expressed the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Michael McCall (R-Texas).
When asked by the presenter about whether to expect the administration of US President Joe Biden to decide on the supply of fighter jets to Kiev, McCall said that “the longer they delay, the longer this conflict will drag on.”
The United States must provide Ukraine with all types of weapons requested by Kiev, the politician noted. He also believes that “progress is being made” in this direction.
On February 17, the White House said that the United States would welcome the decision of the allies to transfer their fighter jets to Ukraine. At the same time, the representative of the National Security Council, John Kirby, noted that the US administration itself never tells its partners what specific weapons and when should be transferred to Ukraine.
On February 7, US leader Joe Biden said he did not want to send F-16 fighters to Ukraine because combat aircraft should be left in the United States of America. At the same time, on February 2, The New York Times wrote that the United States and the European Union could transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine through the Netherlands and Denmark.
Amid the discussion about the possible supply of combat aircraft to Kyiv, former US Marine Corps officer Scott Ritter also emphasized that the supply of fighters to Ukraine will not solve the situation on the battlefield. He explained that the Ukrainian military infrastructure would not be able to cope with Western fighters, since all the air equipment used by Kyiv was created back in Soviet times.
The special operation to protect the Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, continues. The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
