Ukraine won't receive F-16 fighter jets until counteroffensive is over - NATO Military Committee Chair

Chairman of the NATO Military Committeeя, Admiral Rob Bauer, said this, LBC reports.

The official noted that providing Ukraine with fighter jets will not be resolved in the short term.

"The discussion on the fighters is an important one, but it will not be solved in the short term for this counteroffensive. Training those pilots, training the technicians, making sure there is a logistic organization that can actually sustain these aircraft will not be available before this counter-offensive," he said. 

The admiral urged not to link the discussion on the provision of F-16s to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive.

"We shouldn’t mix the two discussions – I think it’s important and understandable that Ukraine asks for these fighter aircraft – but we should not mix it with the counteroffensive discussion now,” he said. 

When asked whether he believes Ukraine can win a war against Russia without fighter jets, Bauer added: "I think Ukraine is at an advantage because it has the western weapon systems, it has better training, and it has, very importantly, much higher morale and motivation."

F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine 

On May 21, US President Joe Biden approved the training of Ukrainians on the F-16 fighter jets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine would not use them to attack Russia. Yuriy Sak, an adviser to the Ministry of Defense, mentioned that Ukraine expects to receive the first modern American F-16 fighter jets in the fall of 2023.

During a Ramstein meeting on May 25, it was announced that Denmark and the Netherlands would lead the coalition for training the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the F-16. Four more countries, namely Norway, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland, would also be part of the coalition.

On June 14, the Netherlands, one of the leaders of the aviation coalition, stated that the training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 would commence in the coming months.

On June 15, it was announced by Stoltenberg, based on the Ramstein meeting, that the training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 had already started. The US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, expressed satisfaction with the progress, while Ukraine’s Air Force spokesperson mentioned their desire for a quick outcome, but acknowledged that the process takes time.

On the same day, it was revealed that Denmark and the Netherlands plan to begin training Ukrainian pilots during the summer and establish a training center in an Eastern European NATO country.

Following the Ramstein meeting, Ukraine's Defense Minister, Reznikov, expressed confidence in the formation of a coalition. He also assured that Ukrainian Air Force pilots can adapt to Western F-16 fighter jets faster than expected by Ukraine's allied countries. A four-month timeframe seems realistic for pilots, but technicians require additional time.

The day before, Politico reported that a Western coalition is considering Romania as a potential location for training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16.

On June 22, Denmark formally requested the United States to assist in training Ukrainian pilots for operating F-16 fighter jets.

Acting Defense Minister of Denmark, Troels Lund Poulsen, announced on June 26 that the training of Ukrainian pilots on Western F-16 fighter jets has begun.

On July 1, President Zelenskyy mentioned that the schedule for training Ukrainian pilots on Western F-16 fighter jets has not been finalized yet, and some foreign partners are causing delays.