Video: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Bakhmut; A residential building in Zaporizhzhia was hit in a Russian attack (Reuters)
A senior Biden administration official said Friday that the United States and its allies plan to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets as part of a long-term effort to "strengthen national security." The official made the remarks to NBC, clarifying that the United States will not necessarily be the one supplying Ukraine with the planes, but rather one of the European countries expected to do so.
The official's claims come amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and Kyiv's calls for Western countries to provide it with advanced fighter jets — a call that has so far been refused. Although he declined to comment on a possible date when Ukraine would receive the planes, the official stressed that the planes would not be used by Ukraine in its upcoming counteroffensive against Russia.
Will be transferred to Ukraine? F-16 fighter jet (Photo: Reuters)
In the coming months, the U.S. and its allies "will decide when to deliver planes, how much to deliver and who will deliver them," the official said. In this context, it should be noted that earlier today, President Biden informed the leaders of the G7 countries that he would allow them to export F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The president also announced that his country would support an allied association that would train and train Ukrainian pilots.
Following President Biden's announcement, the Danish Defense Ministry was called to the flag and announced that Denmark was expected to train Ukrainian pilots to use the fighter jet.
"The discussions on improving the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force reflect our long-term commitment on behalf of Ukraine," the senior administration official said. This is a significant change of line for President Biden, since, in early February, when asked by reporters outside the White House if he would agree to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, he replied: "No."
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US President Joe Biden alongside Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy. Kyiv, February (Photo: Reuters)
Contrary to Biden's statements in the past, there have been other NATO members who have not really ruled out this possibility. France and Poland, for example, have expressed some openness in the past to supplying Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, although they had some reservations about the possibility that this could lead to an escalation with Russia. Despite their willingness, the transfer of American-made aircraft requires the approval of the US government, which they have not had until now.
The official added that the joint effort by the United States and its allies to train Ukrainian pilots on the planes could begin in the coming weeks. The training will take place "outside Ukraine," in Europe, and will take a considerable number of months to complete, he added.
In the past, a senior Pentagon official told Congress that training Ukrainian pilots in F-16 fighter jets could take about 18 months. Other U.S. defense officials said the training could be shortened to just six to nine months, based on the pilots' previous training and knowledge of fighter jets.
The White House official declined to comment on some substantive issues regarding the transfer of the planes, and it is unclear which country will fund their supplies and who will provide the training to the Ukrainian pilots.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he landed in Saudi Arabia to attend the Arab League summit. Today (Photo: Reuters)
Earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in the Saudi city of Jeddah where he addressed an Arab League summit, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a best friend of President Zelenskyy's bitterest enemy, Vladimir Putin.
Later, President Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who confirmed the kingdom's support for international efforts to politically resolve the war in Ukraine, "the crisis in Ukraine," in the words of Saudi officials.
Bin Salman added that Saudi Arabia "continues to invest efforts in an attempt to mitigate the humanitarian consequences" of the conflict. For his part, President Zelensky welcomed the kingdom's "central role" in the Middle East and around the world. Earlier, in his address to the Arab League, Zelensky called on countries to support his peace plan for the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky alongside Crown Prince bin Salman. The city of Jeddah, today (Photo: Reuters)
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On Sunday, Zelensky is expected to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima. According to the Associated Press, Zelensky will participate virtually today in summit discussions on battlefield conditions. "Most important decisions will be made there, so the presence of our president is absolutely necessary in order to protect our interests," said Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
Earlier today, the leaders of the countries visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and laid memorial wreaths there. They then stood in memory of the 140,7 victims of the U.S. nuclear attack.
This year's G<> summit is extraordinary. Representatives of eight other countries were invited, including Australia, India, Brazil, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Comoros, representing the African Union, and the Cook Islands. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's goal is to present a "united front" against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a response to China's military aggression.
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