U.S. President Biden said the United States will not send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, dismissing renewed calls by Kyiv officials for these advanced weapons to boost Ukraine’s air command.
A top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine suggested that Kyiv had begun pressing NATO countries on sending warplanes, saying on Telegram that Kyiv had received “positive signals” from Poland about F-16 fighter jets.
Wopke Hoekstra, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, said that his country is willing to send American-made F-16 jets if the United States authorized the transfer.
However, when asked by a reporter whether the United States would provide F-16 fighter jets, President Biden simply responded “no”. The White House declined to comment on a question further.
Speaking later on CNN, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby defended the Biden administration’s decision not to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and pointed to last week’s commitment to send Abrams tanks and said “there is a lot of capability that is being sent and will be sent.” Britain, Germany and the Netherlands have also suggested that they don’t intend to send fighter jets for now.
After Germany offered 14 Leopard tanks and the U.S. announced to send 31 M1 Abrams, Ukraine’s government renewed its calls for western fighter jets. President Zelenskyy thanked Berlin and Washington but they are also seeking to break a “taboo” on the provision of jets such as US-made F16s.
