Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is confident that Western allies will eventually decide to supply Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets. He expressed this belief during an interview with the television channel ‘1+1’. Kuleba stated, ‘F-16s will come; it’s just a matter of time. I believe the United States’ decision will be linked to the outcomes of our counteroffensive.

If we had F-16s now, our counteroffensive would progress much faster, and we could save significantly more lives of our soldiers and civilians suffering from missile strikes.’ On April 29, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that fighter jets would greatly aid Ukraine’s counteroffensive efforts. However, he clarified that the commencement of the counteroffensive would not be contingent upon receiving these aircraft.

Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to its allies for modern fighter jets, particularly the F-16s. During a meeting in Paris in early February, President Zelensky urged Western partners to provide Ukraine with fighter jets ‘as soon as possible’ to repel Russian advances. Join the Radio Liberty community on Viber! Links for territories where the Radio Liberty website is blocked.