Biden greenlights European allies to train Ukrainians on F-16s: White House

President Joe Biden’s administration will allow European allied countries to start training Ukrainian fighter pilots to use F-16 fighter jets against Russia, White House National Security Advisor said on Sunday

“The president has given a green light and we will allow, permit, support, facilitate and in fact provide the necessary tools for Ukrainians to begin being trained on F-16s, as soon as the Europeans are prepared,” Jake Sullivan told CNN.

He added that European leaders have said they need several weeks to prepare training abilities and that the US would meet whatever timeline they set out.

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Senator Mark Kelly told CNN that it will take time and resources to train Ukrainian pilots on how to fly the aircraft in the first place: “This is going to take some time. I don't think it's been slow-walked, but the process is a lot longer.”

Ukraine’s Western allies had announced on Tuesday that they will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark, and set up a training center in Romania.

NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands have been leading international efforts to train pilots as well as support staff, maintain aircraft and ultimately enable the supply of F-16s to Ukraine in its war with Russia. Kyiv, which has launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces, has repeatedly called for Western countries to supply aircraft and train its pilots to fly them, to successfully counter Moscow's aerial dominance.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said on Thursday that Russia will have to “swallow” the fact that Kyiv will receive F-16 fighter jets, after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine deploying F-16s will be viewed as a threat in the “nuclear sphere.”

Spokesperson for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yurii Ihnat announced last week that the first group of Ukrainian pilots were ready to go for training abroad. Ihnat added that each of partner countries, namely Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, the UK, Denmark, and others, will provide their grounds and material resources to train Ukrainian aviation professionals.

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