Ukraine will receive F-16 fighter jets in the long term, they will not be used during the planned counteroffensive, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said at a briefing, the transcript of which was published on the agency’s website.
“F-16 for Ukraine is a long-term commitment to Ukraine. These F-16s will not be relevant for the upcoming counteroffensive,” he said.
Ryder noted that while the U.S. was previously focused on giving Ukraine the weapons it needs in the current fighting, now that Kiev has built “significant defenses,” one can speak of “long-term needs.”
According to him, now the United States and allies are discussing the details of how the already announced training of Ukrainians to pilot these aircraft will take place. Ryder expressed his hope that it will start in the coming weeks or months and added that training will take place in Europe, but a specific location has not yet been determined.
The Pentagon spokesman also recalled that US President Joe Biden received assurances from his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that the F-16s would only be used “inside Ukraine.”
Source: Rosbalt
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