The NSC once again assured that the United States does not seek escalation
WASHINGTON, June 6. /tass/. The Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council (NSC) of the White House, John Kirby, on Tuesday refused to comment on the substance of the possibility of placing nuclear warheads on F-16 fighters intended for Kiev and once again assured that the United States is not seeking escalation.
Kirby was asked at a regular briefing to comment on the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov regarding the fact that one of the modifications of the F-16 can carry nuclear weapons. "First of all, I would tell Minister Lavrov that if you are so concerned about Ukraine's military capabilities, then you should take your soldiers and leave Ukraine," the NSC official replied.
"Secondly, these F-16s will be provided as one of the components of [meeting] Ukraine's long-term defense needs. We are acting very, very openly and transparently in this matter. It will take some time to get these fighters there. We will start with a training program for Ukrainian pilots. And it hasn't started yet. And here the point is to help Ukraine with its defense needs," he replied.
"And the last thing I will note: President [US Joe] Biden has been extremely consistent about the fact that we do not want an escalation in this war and, of course, its development into a nuclear one. It is not the United States that makes reckless statements about nuclear weapons," Kirby argued. According to his version, the Russian side makes such statements.
To the journalist's clarifying question, does he want to say that F-16s cannot carry nuclear warheads, Kirby replied: "I will not talk about the nuclear potential of any systems in the American arsenal. The purpose of providing the latest fighter jets is to help Ukraine defend itself, protect its airspace and territorial integrity." "The United States is not interested in the escalation of this conflict and, of course, in its escalating into a nuclear one," the NSC official claimed.
Earlier, during a visit to the 201st Russian military base in Tajikistan, Lavrov, speaking about the supply of Western weapons to Kiev, said that anything can be expected from the leaders of the United States and other Western countries, whom "Washington has completely crushed under itself." This proves the fact, the Russian Foreign Minister continued, that after modern long-range guns, tanks are now seriously "preparing" F-16". Lavrov stressed that one of the modifications of the F-16 can "accommodate" nuclear weapons. "If they don't understand this, then they are worthless as military strategists and planners," the minister stressed.
"We are peaceful people. The only thing we want is to be left alone, so that no one tries to drag us into some American-led globalist structures and mechanisms," the Russian Foreign Minister added.