Western countries run "colossal risks" if they supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko was quoted as saying by the Tass news agency.
Grushko's intervention follows US President Joe Biden's statement to G7 leaders yesterday that Washington will support a joint effort with allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation aircraft, including F-16s.
Before Biden's communication to the leaders of the Big Seven, a senior U.S. administration official said the training should not take place in the United States, but probably all of Europe, including with the
involvement of U.S. military. It will take months to complete the various phases, but the announcement is enough to put further pressure on Moscow.
Denmark has already announced that it will train Ukrainian pilots, while from Hiroshima British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that "the United Kingdom will work with the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to provide Ukraine with the air combat capability it needs",
"I welcome the historic decision of the United States and President Joe Biden to support an international coalition of fighter jets," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter. "This will greatly improve our
army in the sky. I look forward to discussing the practical implementation of this decision at the G7 summit in Hiroshima," the Kiev leader added.