When asked for fighter jets, the Ukrainian government got one rebuff after another from Washington. For Selenskyj there is now a gift at the G7 summit. What exactly is planned?
And Joe Biden is doing it. After months of hesitation, the US President gave in and fulfilled a long-cherished wish of his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky: Biden cleared the way for the delivery of American F-16 fighter jets to Kiev. Just a few weeks after the Russian invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian government asked for fighter jets. To their constant demands and pleas in the months that followed, Washington and Biden personally gave only a rigorous no. Now the U.S. government is about to turn around. The question now arises as to whether this could also change Germany’s mind.
What exactly is planned?
The US supports the training of Ukrainian pilots on Western-style fighter jets. As the training progresses, the US and the coalition of countries participating in the project plan to make further decisions: who will actually provide fighter jets, how many, and when. A lot is still open. The only thing that is clear for the time being is that the training of the pilots will take place outside of the Ukraine at locations in Europe, if possible should begin in the coming weeks – and will take months.
Did the US itself pledge delivery of F-16s?
No. The US government has explicitly left this open. However, the way has been paved for other countries to eventually hand over F-16s from their stocks to Ukraine. Biden has basically signaled approval – even if the specific decisions on this will only be made in the next step. It is quite conceivable that the USA may end up not providing any planes itself.
Why did everything depend on the USA?
The F-16 are built by the US company Lockheed Martin. As a result, the USA plays a key role, not only because of its own large holdings. They must also approve any export of F-16s from allied inventories. And because of the sensitive technology of the jets, they themselves have a say in who is trained on them. The hands of the European partners were tied without an OK from the USA. The US announcement has one limitation: It is about “fourth-generation fighter jets, including the F-16”.
What does that mean?
Above all, the reference means that Kiev should not get the very latest fighter jets like the F-35 for the time being. At the same time, however, it is also made clear that other models could also be delivered in addition to the F-16. The Tornados and Eurofighters used by Germany, the French Mirage 2000 or other American models such as the F-15 and F/A-18 Hornet are also counted among the fourth generation of combat aircraft.
Which countries have F-16s, and who wants to participate?
In addition to the USA, various other countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Denmark and Greece can also be considered as supplier countries for the F-16. They all use the powerful jet to this day. Great Britain and France, which do not have any F-16s themselves, also want to take part in pilot training.
Why does Kiev really want the F-16?
The reason Ukraine wants F-16s and not other multirole fighters is because US jets are still considered extremely capable and widely deployed. More than 2800 copies were recently in use worldwide. Kiev can therefore hope to get larger quantities and no major problems in procuring spare parts.
What are the Ukrainians hoping for from the fighter jets?
They assume that the number of successful Russian missile and drone attacks could be significantly reduced with the F-16. They would be used in combination with ground-based air defense systems. Ukraine also wants Western fighter jets to use in offensives against Russian attackers to support ground forces. “F-16s will allow us to control our skies, protect our troops, reduce their casualties and increase our pilots’ chances of surviving dogfights,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote in a recent op-ed for the US Specialist magazine “Foreign Policy”. A delivery of F-16s could also ensure a faster end to the war.
Is Germany part of the fighter jet coalition?
This is not to be expected. Weeks ago, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) described the delivery of Western-style fighter jets as not making sense. He also points out that Germany is one of the most important arms suppliers for Kiev. Berlin has forged an alliance to supply German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks and just last week put together another weapons package worth 2.7 billion euros. Scholz’ motto is now: No weapon systems of new quality, but more of the same – above all anti-aircraft systems, tanks, artillery, ammunition. F-16 does not have Germany to offer anyway. The Bundeswehr flies Eurofighter and Tornados. But that doesn’t prevent London and Paris from getting involved either.
Why have Americans hesitated for so long?
The United States was concerned that Western fighter jets could be used for attacks over Russian territory, prompting Moscow to escalate the war beyond Ukraine. The Americans also objected to the great effort involved in training the pilots and the technicians who have to maintain the jets. Last but not least, the F-16s are very expensive and would limit the financial scope for other weapon systems. The money factor is not insignificant: with their new power in the US Congress, the Republicans have already threatened to stop approving aid to Ukraine on a large scale.
Why did Biden give in now of all times?
Europeans have recently increasingly urged the United States to move. The Americans never ruled out behind closed doors that they might eventually deliver F-16s or at least not stand in the way of partners – not necessarily out of conviction, but in case of doubt only to keep the alliance of Ukraine supporters together. That is exactly what has now happened. Not for the first time. The United States also only agreed to the provision of its own battle tanks to Kiev after a long hesitation – in order to give Germany backing for the delivery of its Leopards. The timing is also likely to be related to Zelenskyy’s surprise visit to the G7 summit in Japan. The G7 countries could not send him home empty-handed after the sensational trip.
How do the Americans justify the decision themselves?
Officially, the US government does not want to know anything about an about-face. Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, says it simply wasn’t the right time for F-16s. The decision to supply arms to Kiev was based on the requirements of the war from the outset. The US would have delivered everything it promised. Now it is a matter of looking to the future and seeing what the Ukrainian military will need in the long term to deter and ward off Russia. That’s where the jets come in.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
