US President Joe Biden has reversed his previous objections to providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, believing in the ability to prepare the country for long-term resistance against Russia. This was announced by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to journalists in Japan on Saturday, as reported by CNN.
Sullivan confirmed that Biden told his G7 colleagues that the United States will support joint efforts in training Ukrainian pilots in operating F-16 fighter jets, emphasizing that this decision was made at a critical turning point in the war and signifies long-term support for Ukrainian self-defense.
“We have delivered everything we promised to give Ukrainians the opportunity to make progress on the battlefield.”
“Now we have reached a point where we need to assess what Ukraine will require in order to have the capability to deter and defend against Russian aggression in the future. Part of that includes fourth-generation F-16 fighters,” Sullivan stated.
He emphasized that these aircraft are not currently needed by Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression but will play a role later on.
“We believe that the F-16s are not meant to go into the fight right now,” said the White House representative.