• Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Biden agrees Ukrainian pilots can be trained to use F-16 fighter jets

Biden agrees Ukrainian pilots can be trained to use F-16 fighter jets

Hiroshima, Japan, 19 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) - US President Joe Biden will allow Ukrainian pilots to be trained on American F-16 fighter jets, a senior US government official said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

 

A decision on the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine is to follow at a later date, according to the official.

 

Biden told the other G7 leaders the United States would support the training of Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter jets, including the F-16, the official said.

 

While the training is ongoing, the coalition of countries participating in the effort will decide when to provide jets, how many to provide and who would provide them, he said.

 

The training will take place outside Ukraine at sites in Europe and would run for several months, he said. Training would start in the coming weeks.