US President Joe Biden has ruled out sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, despite new calls from Ukrainian officials for urgent air support.
Asked by a reporter on Monday whether the US would provide the planes, Mr Biden simply said no.
His comments came a day after the German leader also ruled out sending planes.
Ukraine has long insisted on sending advanced fighter jets to help Kiev take control of its airspace in its ongoing war with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the country’s top military leadership say there should be no taboo on such military aid, but the US and its partners fear it will lead to further escalation with nuclear-armed Russia.
The US-made F-16 Fighting Falcon is considered one of the most reliable fighter jets in the world and is used by other countries such as Belgium and Pakistan.
They will be a significant upgrade to the Soviet-era combat aircraft – mainly MiGs – currently in use by Ukraine, which were manufactured before the country declared independence from the USSR in 1991.
However, Mr. Biden has repeatedly rejected Ukraine’s requests for the planes, focusing instead on providing military support in other areas.
Last week, the US announced that it would supply Kyiv with 31 Abrams tanks, reversing its previous position on the matter. Great Britain and Germany too promised similar support.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk welcomed the announcement, but asked allies to create a “fighter coalition” that would also provide Ukraine with Eurofighter, Tornado, French Rafale and Swedish Gripen fighter jets.
IN interview on sunday Germany’s chancellor said it “seems frivolous” to discuss sending more military aid to Ukraine when his government has just committed to sending Leopard 2 tanks.
Olaf Scholz also repeated to the German newspaper Tagesspiegel that the NATO military alliance is not at war with Russia and that it “will not allow such an escalation.”
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macon said on Monday that “by definition, nothing is excluded,” referring to military aid to Ukraine. But he emphasized that this should neither inflame the situation nor limit France’s ability to defend itself.
The Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, is currently in Paris, where he plans to discuss this issue with high-ranking French officials.
Another key ally of Ukraine – Poland – also does not rule out sending F-16s to Kyiv. However, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that any such step would be possible only “in full coordination” with other NATO members.
Andriy Yermak, the head of President Zelenskyi’s office, said that Ukraine had received “positive signals” from Warsaw.
Moscow has repeatedly accused NATO of being a proxy aggressor, and alliance members including the United States and Germany have been reluctant to send military aid, which could have escalated the conflict.
