Deliveries of F-16 fighters are “not a key potential” for the current needs of Ukraine, which is puzzled by a counteroffensive, said CNN US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
“F-16 is not for short-term combat. F-16 – for the long-term defense of Ukraine. That’s what the President of the United States was talking about. [Джо] Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart [Владимир] Zelensky,” he said.
According to CNN, the Ukrainian government is stepping up its campaign for the West to send F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. And now the request is getting more and more support from some influential bipartisan members of Congress.
Biden has so far refused Kyiv’s requests and tried to balance the obligation to pump weapons into the Kiev regime while avoiding a direct confrontation between the West and Russia.
On February 18, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said that Ukraine would receive modern fighter jets like the Eurofighter Typhoon, but only after the completion of Russia’s special operation. He assured that “quick deliveries” of aircraft in the next six months are definitely not to be expected.
On the same day, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that London was ready to support countries that could transfer fighter jets to Kyiv. He added that Britain is already “leading” in training Ukrainian pilots to fly fighter jets. He also reiterated his call for the Allies to “double their support”.
At the same time, at the Munich Security Conference, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said that the United States should supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter-bombers.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the supply of arms to Ukraine. On January 16, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a new round of deliveries of more advanced military equipment to Ukraine could “only drag out the whole story.”
