WASHINGTON: A top Biden administration official revealed Sunday that the US will enable European countries to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets, a possible windfall for Ukraine’s efforts to confront Russia’s air superiority.
“The president has given the go-ahead, and we will allow, permit, support, facilitate, and in fact provide the necessary tools for Ukrainians to begin training on F-16s as soon as the Europeans are ready,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The move is a dramatic shift for President Joe Biden, who previously stated that Ukraine did not require the F-16s. One of the major difficulties confronting Kyiv’s ground forces as their counteroffensive begins is Russian air power. Russia still has air dominance, making ground forces tough to advance.
Biden informed G7 leaders in May that the US will support a collaborative effort with allies and partners to educate Ukrainian pilots on fourth generation aircraft, including F-16s, though it was unclear when that training would begin.
The US-made jet is capable of air-to-air refuelling and is compatible with the majority of NATO armaments currently given to Ukraine. Despite being in production since the 1980s, it has undergone several upgrades, making it more advanced and versatile than any jet Ukraine currently has in its fleet, as well as a fierce competitor for most Russian aircraft, with the exception of newer models that Moscow has been hesitant to deploy in Ukraine.
Sullivan stated on Sunday that European partners have stated that they need many weeks to establish training capabilities, and that the US will fulfil any deadline they set.
“The United States will not be the stumbling block in ensuring that this F-16 training can begin,” he stated.
Concerning US national defence, Sullivan bemoaned the House-passed defence policy bill, which included multiple contentious changes that touched on sensitive social themes.
“This legislation will never reach the president’s desk because an extreme group of Republicans has proposed a set of amendments that try to mix domestic social debates with the needs of security,” Sullivan stated.
The inclusion of amendments advocated by conservative hardliners concerning abortion policy and transgender health care access, as well as attacking diversity and inclusion programmes, infuriated Democrats and will likely set up a showdown with the Democratic-controlled Senate.
