President Biden told Group of Seven (G-7) leaders on Friday that the United States will support a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots in F-16 fighter jets, a senior administration official told The Hill.
The U.S. hopes the training could begin “next week,” the official said, and will take months to complete. It will be produced outside of Ukraine, in locations in Europe.
Countries participating in the effort will decide when they will actually provide the planes, how many will be provided and who will provide them, the official said.
The president is in Hiroshima, Japan for the G-7 summit, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is. expected to do an in-person appearance this weekend.
The F-16 is a fourth-generation aircraft that is far superior to the Soviet-era aircraft operated by Ukraine. Training Ukrainians on the plane is an effort to further strengthen and improve the capabilities of the country’s air force and is part of the long-term US commitment to Ukraine’s self-defense, the official said.
“Along with the short- and medium-term security assistance packages we are providing to Ukraine, President Biden is sending a powerful signal of how the United States and our allies and partners are fully united to ensure that Ukraine remains sovereign , independent and secure with the ability to defend itself and deter future attacks,” the official said.
Ukraine has wanted to receive Western fighter jets such as the American F-16 since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Kiev increased its pressure earlier this year to secure the warplanes and Zelensky last month said he “raised the issue” of F-16 fighter jets during a call with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
The US is also expected to do so present a “substantial” sanctions package. against Russia on Friday while Biden is in Japan. The sanctions issued by the United States will include the blacklisting of 300 people, entities, ships and aircraft in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and expanded sanctions authority for sectors of the Russian economy.
