US approves transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine
The US military has decided to send F-16 fighter planes to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands as soon as the training of Ukrainian pilots is completed.
A US official said on Thursday that Washington has assured both countries that it will expedite approval of transfer requests for F-16's to be transferred to Ukraine as soon as the pilots are trained.
The US must approve the transfer of F-16s from its allies to Ukraine. A coalition of 11 countries was due to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 fighter this month in Denmark,
As you know, Denmark and the Netherlands are taking the lead on training. We have, and the President has, given the green light to allow and support the training to move forward, but I just don't have any further updates at this time when it comes to specific pilots being trained.
Sabrina Singh, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary
The thing is that it is very strong Weapon System, it is a very strong capability, but it's not going to be available anytime soon. And President Zelensky, of course, knows that.
Kajsa Ollongren, Dutch Defense Minister
US officials have privately said that F-16 fighter jets would not be a game changer when they arrive given Russia's air defense systems and superiority in the air.
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, sent letters to his Danish and Dutch counterparts assuring them that the request would be approved.
He said the approval of the request would allow Ukraine to take full advantage of its new capabilities as soon as the first set of pilots complete their training.
Officials in Kyiv have repeatedly requested F-16s, some NATO states have agreed to instruct Ukrainian pilots, but it remains unclear when the first transfer could occur.
US President Joe Biden endorsed a number of training programs for Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 in May but no time frame for the supply of the warplanes has been declared yet.
According to a recent report by The Washington Post, the initial batch of Ukrainian pilots trained on an F-16 will not be ready until after the summer of 2024, with only six airmen set to complete the first round of instructions.
Flying wise, while technically, I mean, if you're a pilot, this is also just an airplane; but to fly a fighter jet and to transition to an F 16, which for them would mean different technology, different design concepts.
Dutch Pilot
Russia has repeatedly warned that the influx of Western weapons and military equipment only prolongs the conflict and increases the risk of military confrontation with NATO.
Moscow has said Western powers would run "colossal risks" should they decide to supply the F 16. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Russia will consider the aircraft a nuclear threat due to its ability to carry atomic weapons.
Yes, that's right. I mean, the pro war people keep saying it's up to Ukraine to decide when to negotiate but the reality is the US is funding practically 100% of this war and the allies are providing 100% of the of the munitions. So at any time they could say look, you know, enough's enough. We're not going to do this anymore. And then of course Ukraine would have to negotiate.
Adam Creighton, Political Analyst
Ukraine says its troops have recaptured a village from Russian forces in the south eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister said the forces had secured their position by erecting defensive lines on the outskirts of the village. There was no immediate response to the Ukrainian claim from Moscow.
Russian drones inflicted damage upon grain facilities in the southern region of Odessa, Ukraine has also launched a number of cross border drone attacks inside Russia.
Meanwhile, NATO member Poland has held its biggest military parade since the Cold War in an event which marked victory over Soviet forces in 1920.
Warsaw showcased the country's state of the art weaponry as the war was raging in neighboring Ukraine.
The Polish army has more than 175,000 troops, increased from approximately 100,000 eight years ago.
There are existing risks associated with the militarization of Poland, which has become the main instrument of the United States' anti Russian policy, Warsaw announced the intention to build, according to the polls, most powerful army on the continent.
Sergei Shoigu, Russian Defense Minister
Poland has also expressed concern about the movement of Wagner forces in Belarus towards the Polish border.
The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has said we have information that more than 100 Wagner mercenaries have advanced towards the Suwalki Gap, not far from Grodno in Belarus.
Grodno is located in the west of Belarus about 15 kilometers from its border with NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
The Suwalki gap is a narrow strategic land corridor between Belarus and Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.
Poland is worried about its security, with Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.
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