Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday afternoon about a possible trip to Poland, President Biden said the United States would not send F-16 jets to Ukraine amid mounting pressure from parts of Europe and, reportedly, from certain Pentagon officials.
Biden said no to the US sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, AFP reported after being asked by reporters.
However, it is worth noting that last March the American president He told:
“The assumption that we are sending attack equipment, planes, tanks and trains with American pilots and American crews – understand, don’t be fooled, whatever they say, this is called III. world War” – declared Biden at the meeting of House Democrats in Philadelphia.
The office of the Ukrainian presidency says it is already in fast-track talks with the United States on the possibility of supplying Kiev’s forces with long-range missiles and military aircraft. All this despite the fact that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who played a key role in getting the tanks approved by Berlin and Washington, had previously said that sending the planes was not an option.
Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelensky’s adviser, was quoted by The Associated Press on Saturday as saying that talks are underway about jet aircraft and long-range missiles. “to drastically curtail key assets of the Russian military by allowing them to attack weapons depots far behind the front lines.”
At the same time, there were reports in the American media over the weekend that suggested that the Pentagonon a movement is gaining ground internally to pressure the Biden administration into sending the planes to Ukraine.
“A group of military officials is quietly pressuring the Pentagon to approve sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country defend against Russian missile and drone attacks, according to three people with knowledge of the talks.” Politico wrote.
“As Ukraine prepares to launch a new offensive to recapture territory in the spring, a campaign for fighter jets is gaining momentum inside the Defense Department, according to a Democrat and two other people familiar with the talks.” – explained the report.
A White House spokesman declined to comment on the matter, but pointed to comments made by Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer. He said the United States “very carefully” would negotiate with Kiev and its allies on fighter jets.
But then there’s even the American public, which remains deeply divided over how far to push America’s role in this mess. Meanwhile, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, also warned everyone to calm down. In a recent interview, he said:
“I can only advise that we don’t get into a constant competition to outbid each other when it comes to weapons systems.”
He insisted that Berlin would not equip the Ukrainian army with war machines. “The question of fighter planes does not arise at all” Scholz emphasized. The only question that, like the tank issue, concerns many: will Germany stick to its principles this time and resist the pressure, or will it give in again?