Biden approves F-16s for Ukraine.

Biden Reverses Course on F-16s for Ukraine

Background

For months, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has been requesting F-16 fighter jets from the United States and Europe to counter Russian control of the skies over Ukraine. However, earlier this year, President Joe Biden rejected the request, stating that the Ukrainian military did not need the fighter jets at that point. U.S. officials were also concerned that providing Ukraine with fighter jets could escalate the war with Russia.

Biden’s Change of Heart

President Biden seems to have reconsidered his prior stance, saying over the weekend that he had received assurances from Zelensky that the jets would not be used over Russian soil. Zelensky promised that the fighter jets would be used “wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine and the area,” according to Reuters. On Friday, Biden said that Ukrainian pilots could train on how to operate the American fighter jet in the U.S.

Russia’s Response

Moscow has warned against providing Ukraine F-16s, saying that such escalation would be a “colossal risk.” Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko, stated that western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario, which f-16s-for-ukraine/” title=”Biden approves F-16s for Ukraine.”>involves colossal risks for themselves. Following Biden’s decision to allow Ukrainian pilots to train on the F-16 in the United States, Zelensky issued a statement thanking the U.S. president.

Recent Developments

Over the weekend, Russia claimed to have captured the Eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut, the site of some of the heaviest combat of the Ukraine-Russia war. However, Ukrainian Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy appeared to confirm the reports from Russia until Zelensky later denied the reports at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. On Monday, Russia said that a group of Ukrainian commandos crossed into Russian territory in its Belgorod region. Ukraine said the force was acting independently and did not enter Russian territory on orders from Kiev, according to The Wall Street Journal.