The White House is against the supply of F-16s because of the high cost of these aircraft. Now the United States is committed to providing other types of weapons.
The United States does not allow Ukrainian pilots to begin training with F-16 fighter jets in Europe, despite the willingness of some countries to conduct such training. The New York Times writes about this, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official.
According to him, without US permission, Ukrainian pilots can only learn technical language and conduct tactical lessons. Test flights on the F-16 are not possible.
“Washington’s skepticism is so deep that Kyiv pilots are no longer allowed to train on European-owned F-16s,” the publication wrote, citing a senior official.
According to the NYT, the Joe Biden administration, which must approve the transfer of any American-made aircraft, remains unsure that Ukraine needs the expensive fighters.
A senior US official said the White House opposes delivery of F-16s to Ukraine because the jets are too expensive. As a result, the transfer of these fighters can go to a very large part of the budget to support Ukraine. Instead, the White House will focus on the supply of other weapons.
Instead, according to a US official, the administration is more concerned about speeding up the delivery of other US weapons to Ukraine ahead of a counteroffensive against Russia.
At the same time, the high-ranking American official did not rule out that the US presidential administration could allow European countries to transfer their F-16s to Ukraine.
It was previously reported that the prime ministers of Great Britain and the Netherlands agreed to lead a “coalition of fighters” to provide Ukraine with F-16s. France could also join the so-called “coalition of fighters.”
Ukraine hopes to receive around 40-50 F-16 fighters from Western partners and form three to four squadrons to protect the skies.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.