Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he had received a “serious and strong” offer from leaders of countries willing to supply Kiev with F-16 fighter jets and was waiting to finalize deals with key allies.
According to a statement on his website, Zelensky added: “Our partners know how many aircraft we need. There is already an understanding about the number with some of our European partners. It is a serious and strong offer.”
Zelensky said Kiev was now waiting for final agreements with its allies, including “a joint agreement with the United States”.
It is not yet clear which of Kiev’s allies are willing to send the planes to Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders last month that Washington supports joint training programs organized by allies for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, but White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said there was no final decision yet regarding Washington sending the planes.
Zelensky has long demanded that the country be provided with F-16 aircraft, and he says that the use of Ukrainian pilots for them will be confirmation from the world that the Russian invasion will end in defeat.
Russia said on Tuesday that US-made F-16 fighters could be modified to carry nuclear weapons and warned that supplying them to Kiev would exacerbate the conflict.
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2023-06-07 06:20:36
