WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned Thursday he hopes that coaching for Ukrainian pilots on American-made F-16 fighter jets will start within the coming weeks, bolstering Ukraine in the long term however not essentially as a part of an anticipated spring counteroffensive towards Russia.
Austin spoke as protection leaders from world wide assembled for a digital assembly to debate the continuing army assist for Ukraine. They have been anticipated discuss which international locations will present F-16s, and the way and the place the pilot coaching can be performed.
The officers can even get an replace on the struggle effort from Ukrainian leaders, together with preparation for that anticipated counteroffensive and the way the allies, who’ve confronted their very own stockpile pressures, can proceed to assist Kyiv’s struggle towards Russia.
“We’re going to have to dig deeper, and we’re going to have to continue to look for creative ways to boost our industrial capability,” Austin mentioned earlier than the army leaders started their closed session. “The stakes are high. But the cause is just and our will is strong.”
European international locations have mentioned they’re speaking about which international locations might have among the F-16s obtainable. The United States had lengthy balked at offering the superior plane to Ukraine, and solely final weekend did President Joe Biden agree to permit different nations to ship their very own U.S.-made jets to Kyiv.
“We hope this training will begin in the coming weeks,” Austin mentioned. “This will further strengthen and improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force in the long term. And it will complement our short-term and medium-term security agreements. This new joint effort sends a powerful message about our unity and our long-term commitment to Ukraine’s self-defense.”
The leaders can even possible focus on Ukraine’s different persevering with army wants, together with air protection methods and munitions, artillery and different ammunition.
It was not instantly clear whether or not they may make any agency choices on the F-16 concern, however preliminary steps have begun.
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s international coverage chief, mentioned Tuesday that coaching for Ukrainian pilots had begun in Poland and another international locations, although Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak mentioned coaching was nonetheless within the planning section. The Netherlands and Denmark, amongst others, are additionally planning for coaching.
“We can continue and also finalize the plans that we’re making with Denmark and other allies to start these these trainings. And of course, that is the first step that you have to take,” Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren mentioned, including that preliminary discussions about who might have F-16s obtainable to ship is underway.
Ukraine has lengthy sought the delicate fighter to provide it a fight edge because it battles Russia’s invasion, now in its second yr.
The Biden administration’s resolution was a pointy reversal after refusing to approve any switch of the plane or conduct coaching for greater than a yr due to worries that doing so might escalate tensions with Russia. U.S. officers additionally had argued towards the F-16 by saying that studying to fly and logistically assist such a sophisticated plane can be troublesome and take months.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, mentioned this week that the U.S. resolution on the F-16 was a part of a broader long-term dedication to satisfy Ukraine’s future army wants. He mentioned the jets wouldn’t be related in any counteroffensive anticipated to start shortly.
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