Washington is in no hurry to give the go-ahead to European countries
The US is resisting the European push to provide American-made fighter jets. But the question arises whether Washington's position will soften, as it has done before with tanks, rocket launchers and air defense missiles. A new initiative by the UK and the Netherlands to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets has exposed the latest fault line between Western allies who have repeatedly squabbled over sending powerful weapons, once again pitting the reluctant United States against some of its closest European partners.
Several European allies are ready to provide Ukraine with their F-16 fighter jets. But the Biden administration, which must approve any supply of American-made aircraft, remains unconvinced that Ukraine needs the expensive jets that are a staple of many modern military arsenals, writes The New York Times.
Washington's skepticism is so deep that Kiev pilots are currently not even allowed to train in European-owned F-16 fighter jets, according to a senior Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity to frankly discuss the delicate diplomatic issue.
America's reluctance to allow training would severely limit a proposed new European coalition to help Ukraine acquire and operate F-16 fighter jets, whether in the current conflict or to defend against any future moves by Moscow.
“What what is really important here is to send a message to Russia that we, as a nation, have no philosophical or principled objections to giving Ukraine the means it needs, depending on what happens on the battlefield,” British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement. Wednesday in Berlin. He added: «It's up to the White House to decide if they want to release this technology.»
In Washington, a senior US official said the Biden administration remains reluctant to send its own F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, in part because the multi-million dollar price of the aircraft would absorb too much of the already dwindling conflict funding. Instead, the U.S. official said, the administration is more concerned with getting other U.S. weapons to Ukraine in time for a counteroffensive against Russia, and that the planes won’t reach the battlefield for at least several months anyway—presumably long after. this battle began.
As The New York Times notes, this would not be the first time that the Biden administration has resisted allied demands to send more powerful and modern weapons to Ukraine. In each case, this eventually backfired, allowing high-powered HIMARS rocket launchers, Abrams tanks and Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to be transferred to Kyiv.
And a US official has not ruled out the possibility that the Biden administration will issue re-export licenses to the European military, allowing them to transfer their F-16s to Ukraine. Later on Tuesday, after Britain and the Netherlands announced their so-called kill coalition, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra spoke by phone to discuss Ukraine and other issues.
Wopke Hoekstra said on Wednesday that “we have not yet reached a solution” in what another senior European diplomat described as a slow and difficult discussion.
“When we are ready to cross this bridge and ready to report we will do it,” Minister Hoekstra said.
The Netherlands is one of four European countries that, according to a senior Ukrainian official, have tacitly signaled they are ready to send F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. The Dutch military fleet, along with the Danish and Belgian air forces, could provide at least 125 combat-ready F-16 fighters, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank that estimates military holdings around the world. Norway, which retired its unspecified number of F-16 fighter jets last year as it transitioned to the more advanced F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is also willing to do its part, a Ukrainian official said.
Kiev is asking — at least for now — for only 24 to 36 hours, the official said.
Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the United Kingdom would start training Ukrainian pilots starting starting this summer, as part of a plan “with other countries to provide F-16 jet aircraft.” His statement as part of a new military aid package was made during a visit to London by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, without explicit US approval, training will likely be limited to what a senior Ukrainian official described as merely technical language and tactical lessons that pilots will learn without even touching the F-16.
With powerful radar that can detect targets hundreds of miles away and advanced missiles, the F-16 contains classified and other restricted systems that the United States would not want to see fall into enemy hands. It's one class of weaponry for which even allies must obtain Pentagon «disclosure» clearance just to discuss the technology with outside partners like Ukraine, a senior US Department of Defense official said.
Last month Poland and Slovakia said they sent more than 20 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in anticipation of a UAF counteroffensive. But Ukrainian leaders have said the F-16 is better equipped to defend against airstrikes and evade Russian warplanes.
The Biden administration has often resisted sending more powerful weapons to Ukraine, fearing an escalation in Moscow's attacks. “Giving F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine will deter Russia rather than 'provoke' it,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged his Western patrons last month. “The time has come to take that step.”
Military expert Douglas Barry said it would be surprising if the Biden administration «at least with some kind of silent nod and wink» approved a European plan to help procure F-16s for Ukraine and train its pilots before moving on. .
Experienced Ukrainian fighter pilots, who already have experience flying Soviet-era jets, could be trained to fly the F-16 “in months rather than weeks, but potentially not many months.” , Barry said. But the expert warned that any intense training in the near future could distract pilots from combat at a time when Ukraine needs to keep as much of its air force as possible ready to fly.
But Ukrainian officials they say they are more concerned about another kind of distraction: Western support as Ukraine conflict weariness sets in and funding dries up. They are especially concerned about the United States, where some Republicans, including candidates in next year's presidential election, are already wondering how much more support the country should give Kiev.