The United States said that in the coming months it will determine with its allies the timing of the transfer of the F-16 to Ukraine The United States will discuss with its allies in the coming months which countries and when they will deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, said Assistant to the US President for National Security Jake Sullivan.
According to the American authorities, "right now the time has not yet come for F-16s on the battlefield," but they will be needed in the future. The Washington Post newspaper notes that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was the "main force" in the White House seeking the transfer of tanks and F-16s to Ukraine.
Washington supports the efforts of other countries to train Ukrainian pilots to control American-made F-16 fighter jets, said Assistant to the US President for National Security Jake Sullivan. According to him, in the coming months, the American authorities will discuss with allies who will supply Ukraine with aircraft, when and in what quantity.
He stressed that the fighters, regardless of which country will transfer them to Ukraine, will be subject to the requirement not to strike on Russian territory.
"Ukraine has consistently stated that it is ready to follow this," Sullivan added.
The assistant to the American president also said that with the military support of Kiev, the United States is acting in such a way as to "avoid a third world war." At the same time, according to him, Washington intends to "do everything possible to support Ukraine, which protects its sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The representative of the White House noted that the American side is monitoring the reaction of the Russian authorities when supplying Kiev with various types of weapons.
Fighters are not the most necessary
Sullivan stressed that the F-16s are not included in the set of weapons necessary for Ukraine to conduct a counteroffensive, unlike the HIMARS MLRS. He pointed out that for the offensive operation, the United States supplied Ukraine with tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and artillery shells.
However, according to the presidential aide, "it's time to look to the future and say what Ukraine will need as a military force in the future." In his opinion, Kiev may need fighters after a while. Now, the assistant clarified, these planes "do not fit into the fight."
The most influential proponent of F-16 supplies
The Washington Post, citing sources, notes that American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in the Biden administration was the "main force" and the most influential supporter of providing Kiev with F-16s from the arsenal of European countries.
In particular, the newspaper writes, he was actively negotiating the sending of fighters with representatives of European countries. The publication emphasizes that Blinken had previously pushed the White House to the decision to transfer M1 Abrams tanks to the Ukrainian army, despite the Pentagon's resistance, which allowed European countries to start supplying their tanks to Kiev.
The interlocutors of the newspaper reported that the US authorities stopped objecting to the supply of fighter jets by EU countries, including due to pressure from NATO allies, the US Congress and the President of Ukraine.
Decisions of the G7 Summit
According to Politico and CNN, citing sources, Joe Biden plans to announce a new $375 million package of military assistance to Ukraine during the G7 summit in Hiroshima. CNN's interlocutors reported that the package will include artillery, ammunition and rocket launchers. Politico writes that the assistance will include armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons.
In addition, Biden and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky are expected to meet in person at the summit, the White House reported.
Earlier, CNN, citing sources, indicated that the US administration had made it clear to European allies that it would not block the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine. NBC clarified that the United States and allies plan to transfer planes to Kiev, but they may not come directly from Washington.
On May 17, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands announced that they intend to work on "creating an international coalition to provide Ukraine with combat aviation capabilities, including training and the purchase of F-16s." Advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Yuriy Sak said that Kiev needs 40-60 fighters to strengthen its air defense.
Alice Andreeva