At the G7 summit, an unexpected twist has emerged as President Joe Biden has reversed his decision on sending F–16 fighter jets to Ukraine as they continue to fight off Russian aggression.
The US military is now set to provide American F–16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian government, however, they won’t arrive just yet as it’s projected to take between nine and 18 months for the delivery of the jets to be completed. According to Jeff Rosen of Newsmax, the US military won’t just drop off the jets in Ukraine and leave, they must train Ukrainian pilots in the use of the jets which is the reason for the extended time frame.
This major unforeseen occurrence is being seen as a huge win for the Ukrainian government as they look to gain more protection against the Russian military, however, it seems that they will not get their hands on the jets just yet. The new timeline provides a sense of relief for Russia as they are undoubtedly not excited about the F–16s being sent to Ukraine, but the delay could be beneficial for them as they erect defenses against a potential spring offensive by the Ukrainian government.
The news of this timeline has come as a surprise to many as up until this point it didn’t seem likely that the US would be sending any fighter jets to Ukraine at all. This is an unexpected reversal from Biden who initially seemed against arming the Ukrainian government as he seemed to want to keep the peace in the region.
The US is also set to provide Kiev with intelligence and aid, though some reports suggest that the US has pulled back on some forms of security assistance as they fear that Russia could step up its provocative actions against Ukraine in response.
For now, it will be a waiting game as the US works with Ukraine to provide enough training for their pilots to safely and efficiently operate these F–16s. Clearly, Biden has put his foot down on this matter and Ukraine looks to gain an advantage over their Russian adversaries in the coming months.
This is sure to increase tensions between the US and Russia as well, however, for now, all eyes will be on Ukraine when the F–16s finally arrive. It will be interesting to see what effects the jets have on the unstable situation along the Russian–Ukrainian border.
BREAKING: The United States and allies are planning to provide Ukraine F-16 fighter jets. NEWSMAX's James Rosen [@JamesRosenTV] reports.
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— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) May 19, 2023
