F-16 fighters to help Ukraine with grain export to defeat Russian ‘blackmail’: Kyiv

If the West gives Ukraine F-16 fighter jets, the country will not depend on Russian “blackmail” in terms of the export of Ukrainian grain, the foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday.

“If we have F-16s, we will not depend on Russian blackmail in exporting Ukrainian grain to global markets. So, the sooner we receive them, the sooner we will be able to launch a new [grain] corridor – protected, efficient, and that will function without any hindrances,” Kuleba said according to state news agency Ukrinform.

Russia had announced on Wednesday that it will start considering all vessels traveling on the Black Sea heading to Ukrainian ports as “potential military cargo carriers”, declaring a number of areas in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the international waters of the Black Sea as “temporarily dangerous for navigation,” and adding that the flag countries of ships traveling to Ukrainian ports will be considered parties to the conflict on Kyiv’s side.

Moscow has also stepped attacks on key port cities such as Odesa and Reni which Ukraine said damaged grain export infrastructure.

This followed Russian withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative – a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine to send grain through the key Black Sea port.

As for the F-16s, a group of 11 countries will initiate F-16 fighter jet pilot training for Ukraine in August in Denmark, with an additional training center planned for Romania. Denmark and the Netherlands, both NATO members, have been spearheading global endeavors to train pilots, provide support staff, maintain aircraft, and facilitate the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia.

Last month, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he has received a “serious, powerful” offer from leaders of “partner countries” who are ready to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets and is waiting on finalized agreements.

Zelenskyy has persistently urged Western allies to provide Ukraine with the F-16 fighter jets and emphasized that their presence alongside Ukrainian pilots would serve as a powerful global signal that Russia's invasion would ultimately end in failure.

US President Joe Biden had endorsed training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, announcing in May during a visit by Zelenskyy to Washington: “The US continues to do all we can to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, including launching some new joint efforts with our partners to train Ukrainian pilots on a fourth-generation fighter aircraft like the F-16.”

Meanwhile, Russia has cautioned against supplying Ukraine with F-16s warning that it would escalate the conflict further.

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