The West is taking a "huge risk" if the F-16s are indeed sent to Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told state news agency TASS.
The deputy minister's latest outburst was in response to reports that the United States was ready to make F-16s available to Ukraine's defence forces. According to the Kremlin official, the West is once again "escalating tensions" in the country Russia invaded 15 months ago.
It is not yet clear whether the fighter jets will actually be donated, but it seems that they are moving in that direction. "It involves huge risks for them," Grouchko said, according to TASS. "In any case, this aspect will be taken into account in all our plans and we have all the necessary resources to achieve our goals."
Joe Biden has signalled to G7 leaders that he will give the green light to Western deliveries of fighter jets to Ukraine, including US F-16s, a senior White House official said Friday.
The US president, who is attending the G7 summit in Japan, assured his interlocutors of his “support for a joint initiative to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter jets, including F-16s,” according to this source.
Joe Biden, who is orchestrating the Western response to Russia, is facing growing pressure to allow US F-16 fighters to be sent to Ukraine, not by the US itself but by other countries that own them.
The delivery of these aircraft by third countries is subject to prior approval by Washington.
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“As training takes place over the next few months, our coalition of countries participating in this effort will decide when to provide aircraft, how many, and who will provide them,” the official continued.
The wording – “when” not “if” – is the most favourable signal yet from the United States for the delivery of the aircraft that Kyiv seeks.
“The training will take place outside Ukraine at sites in Europe and will last for months,” the senior official said, saying he “hopes that the training will start in the next few weeks.” On Tuesday, the UK had called for an “international coalition” to provide the fighter jets to the Ukrainian military.
