Americans: Biden just likes to hand out American weapons to everyoneThe United States said that Western fighters will not have time to arrive in Ukraine to participate in the counteroffensive, explaining that the F-16s are more about "long-term" defense, Breitbart writes.
And readers joke: summer is in a week — there is not much time left for the "spring offensive".
Oliver LaneThe US said that advanced Western fighters would not have time to arrive in Ukraine to take part in the long-discussed spring offensive, explaining that the F-16s are more about "long-term" defense.
In recent days, several European countries have started talking about training AFU pilots to control modern NATO fighters in order to qualify them on the F-16 platform after the United States, it seems, cautiously gave the green light to the transfer of fighters to Ukraine. But the Pentagon said that Kiev will not receive them in the near future, and there is no chance that Western fighters will play a role in the long-planned, but not yet begun spring counteroffensive.
This week, Pentagon Press Secretary, Brigadier General of the US Air Force Patrick Ryder answered a flurry of questions about the F-16 fighter jets. He said that Kiev will not receive them in the near future, and "we are talking about long-term obligations to Ukraine. The F-16 fighters will have nothing to do with the upcoming counteroffensive."
The Brigadier General noted that he is not aware of the beginning of any training of Ukrainian pilots on NATO aircraft and it is unlikely that it will begin in the coming "weeks or months." As for the actual delivery of aircraft — at the moment, the United States does not seem to be going to directly supply Ukraine with F-16 fighters, but will allow European allies to transfer them from their own, much smaller, stocks — according to Ryder, they are still at the negotiation stage, and no deadlines have yet been determined.
However, the United States will support these European countries in training Ukrainian pilots in Europe.
Several countries expressed interest in joining what the UK and Ukraine called a "coalition of fighters" earlier this month. Although the UK does not operate the F-16 itself, the bulk of the training for novice pilots will be conducted on jet training aircraft. According to reports, the training process from beginner to F-16 level in Ukraine can take up to two years.
Others believe that the training of already experienced pilots to switch to a new type of fighter will be much faster and will take only four months.
The Netherlands, Germany, France and Poland have said they will train pilots. Politico reports that the Netherlands is likely to become the first country to actually hand over F-16 fighter jets, as their own fleet of aircraft is due to be replaced by newer aircraft next year.
The head of the EU Foreign Policy Service, Josep Borrel, even said that the training of Ukrainians on the F-16 had already begun, but a few days later the Pentagon categorically denied this statement.
Readers' commentsSay_it_ain't_so
Yes, the world wants to get rid of its outdated F-16s and force American taxpayers to pay the bill for new ones.
Dave
The less we give taxpayers' money to corrupt Ukraine, the faster peace will come.
StoneHendge
Summer is already a week away — there is not much time left for the "spring counteroffensive".
DubyaJD
I believe that it can take years to train pilots to control the F-16 in combat conditions.
And this is provided that they speak English.UNOwen
It seems that Biden just likes to distribute American weapons to everyone!
First Afghanistan, now Ukraine.
