Biden Says US Will Not Provide F-16 Fighter Jets To Ukraine

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2023) US President Joe Biden told reporters that the United States will not provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

"No," Biden said on Monday when asked if the United States will provide F-16 jets to Ukraine.

Kiev has long been lobbying Washington to provide F-16 fighter jets to bolster its forces amid Russia's special military operation.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on NATO countries to unlock the supply of long-range missiles and military aircraft to Kiev after Western countries announced their intention to supply Ukraine with main battle tanks.

A group of US military officials is quietly lobbying to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, which is gathering momentum in the Defense Department as Kiev braces for a planned offensive this spring, Politico reported, citing sources.

It may take weeks for the United States to make a decision on such deliveries, the report said, adding that the fighter jets would have to be sourced from the country's own reserves or reexported from other countries.

Russia started the special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev amid the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that providing Ukraine with weapons did not contribute to the success of peace negotiations.