JJoe Biden signaled to G7 leaders that he would green light the delivery of Western fighter jets to Ukraine, including US F-16s, a senior White House official said Friday.
The US president, who is participating in the G7 summit in Japan, assured his interlocutors of his “support for a joint effort aimed at training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter jets, including F-16s.”
Joe Biden, who plans a Western response to Russia, is facing pressure to allow US F-16 fighter jets to be sent to Ukraine, not by the United States but by other countries that have them.
Delivery of these aircraft by third countries is subject to Washington’s prior approval.
“As the exercise unfolds over the next few months, our coalition of nations participating in this initiative will decide when to provide aircraft, how many and by whom,” the official continued.
This development – not “when” and not “if” – is the most positive signal to date for the delivery of these devices, which Kyiv has desperately requested, from the United States.
“The exercise will take place outside of Ukraine at bases in Europe and last for several months,” the senior official said, adding, “I hope the exercise will begin in the next few weeks.”
On Tuesday, the United Kingdom pleaded for an “international coalition” to supply the Ukrainian military with these fighter jets.
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