Washington. May 18. INTERFAX - The administration of US President Joe Biden has repeatedly rejected the possibility of sending F-16 fighters to Ukraine, but at the same time does not object to their transfer to Kiev by other countries, Politico reports.
"I don't think we are against it," the publication quotes a statement by a senior official of the US Defense Ministry regarding the possible sending of fighter jets to Kiev by other countries.
However, such a decision has not yet been made, he stressed.
Meanwhile, as the newspaper notes, the pressure on the White House in connection with the possible transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine intensified after the UK announced the start of an international coalition of countries aimed at purchasing F-16s for Ukraine. London said it would soon begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly modern fighter jets. Later, Belgium followed the British example.
The publication emphasizes that Britain announced the creation of a coalition of countries that will start working on sending aircraft to Ukraine, after a meeting between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Politico recalls that the Netherlands is a country transitioning from the F-16 to the F-35, which will release dozens of fighter jets in the coming years.
The publication notes that countries that have purchased the F-16 or any other weapons system from the United States must first obtain Washington's approval before transferring them to a third country.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon says that they do not consider the F-16 a necessity for Kiev.
The three main priorities of Ukraine are air defense, artillery and mechanized and armored vehicles, a representative of the Ministry of Defense told the publication.
At the same time, American lawmakers are in favor of sending fighter jets.
It is expected that the possibility of transferring the F-16 to Kiev will be discussed at the G-7 meeting in Japan this week. In addition, this topic will be on the agenda of the annual summit of NATO leaders in Lithuania in July.
