“German PM proposes F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots as message to Russia”

F-16 training of Ukrainian pilots will be a message to Russia that the country cannot count on winning the war, says German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz.

A possible joint training program for the training of Ukrainian pilots in the use of the F-16, under the auspices of allied countries, is a message to Russia that the country cannot count on success in the invasion of Ukraine, even if it develops into a protracted conflict . Scholz said this in Hiroshima on Sunday, where he is attending the G7 summit.

Ukraine has not received any promises to get F-16 aircraft for its air defense. But senior Washington officials have said that US President Joe Biden told G7 summits on Friday that Washington supports a training program for Ukrainian pilots.

Scholz followed up on that lead on Sunday, saying the training program should be a long-term project. Scholz also said that it is important that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj gets to meet leaders from non-Western countries.

– If proposals for peace talks are put forward, the goal cannot be that we get a frozen conflict. Russia must withdraw its forces, Scholz said.

In an interview with the German television station Welt, Scholz says that after the war in Ukraine, it must be made clear how Ukraine’s security can be safeguarded. He also said that eventual Ukrainian NATO membership is not something that will exist in the near future.