(Washington) This is an important turning point in Western support for Kyiv and a decision described as “historic” by President Volodymyr Zelensky: Joe Biden is now ready to allow other countries to provide Ukraine with the fighter planes it ardently demands, American-made F-16s.
The American president, who is taking part in the G7 Summit in Japan, assured his interlocutors of his “support for a joint initiative aimed at training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation combat aircraft, including F-16s”, according to a senior White House official.
The announcement was quickly welcomed by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren.
“The UK will work with the US, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to provide Ukraine with the combat air capability it needs,” Sunak said.
This “will considerably help our air force”, welcomed Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Prior approval
Joe Biden, who is orchestrating the Western response to Russia, is facing mounting pressure to allow US Lockheed Martin aircraft to be sent to Ukraine, not through the US itself, but by other countries that have them.
PHOTO KIYOSHI OTA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Joe Biden
The delivery of these planes by third countries is indeed subject to prior approval from Washington, and more specifically to an authorization from the State Department, in order to protect American military technology.
“As the training unfolds over the next few months, our coalition of nations participating in this effort will decide when to provide aircraft, how many, and who will provide them,” the official continued.
This formulation – “when” and not “if” – is, from the United States, the most favorable signal to date for the delivery of these devices claimed by Kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking his Western allies for months to provide him with planes that would allow the Ukrainian army to strike Russian troops in depth, without however constituting a miracle solution in the conflict.
“The training will take place outside Ukraine at sites in Europe and will last for months,” the senior official said, saying “hopefully this training will start in the next few weeks. »
“International Coalition”
On Tuesday, the United Kingdom had pleaded for an “international coalition” intended to supply these fighter jets to the Ukrainian army, but then considered, together with Germany, that it was up to “the White House” to give the final green light.
Poland, which has F-16s, has already indicated that it would be willing to supply them to Ukraine, as has the Netherlands which, like a number of NATO countries, has undertaken to replace their F-16 fleet with a newer aircraft, the F-35.
For now, there is no question of the United States making such a decision on its own, but simply allowing other countries to do so would be a major turning point in the Western response to the Russian invasion. in February 2022.
The White House itself has constantly adapted its position since the beginning of the war. It thus recently authorized the sending of American tanks to Ukraine, which had long been a taboo in Washington.