The United States will not prevent its allies from sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, CNN reported on May 18, 2023, as the White House faces growing pressure from members of Congress and partners to help Kyiv acquire the planes amid intensifying Russian air attacks.
Re-export allowed
The Biden administration told European allies in recent weeks that it would allow them to re-export US-made F-16s to Ukraine, according to sources cited by CNN. Washington remains reluctant to send its own jets.
Because of the sensitive technology involved, any transfer of F-16s would require US approval. Officials said they were not aware of any formal requests yet, and State Department staff had not been told to begin preparing approvals.
A coalition forms
The Netherlands, one of several European countries that operate F-16s, has signalled it may be willing to send some to Ukraine. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK and the Netherlands were working to build an “international coalition” to help Ukraine procure the jets and train its pilots.
Training
The US hosted two Ukrainian pilots in Tucson, Arizona, in March to assess their skills. A defence official said there were no current plans to expand that training, even though Congress had set aside funds for it in the 2023 budget.
The issue is expected to be discussed at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that Western fighter jets are needed to counter Russian air superiority and protect cities from missile and drone strikes.
Sources
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