MOSCOW, August 8 The balance of power will remain with the Russian military even after the appearance of the F-16 in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said General Jerome Pellistrandi, editor-in-chief of the magazine Défense nationale, in an interview with the French publication Depeche.
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"We must be realistic. Considering the number of promised aircraft and the timing of their delivery, these actions will in no way change the balance of power, which will remain in favor of Russia,” the military man noted.
In his opinion, the West began to transfer the Armed Forces of Ukraine too late aircraft they want, and a full delivery of all units by 2028 will not help them much.
Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that the first «small» batch of American F-16 fighters, transferred by the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, arrived in Ukraine.
Moscow believes that arms supplies to Ukraine interfere with the settlement, directly involve NATO countries in the conflict and are “playing with fire.” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. According to him, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy and other countries. The Kremlin stated that pumping Ukraine up with weapons from the West does not contribute to negotiations and will have a negative effect.