Ukraine’s MoD specifies desired terms of receiving first F-16s

An advisor to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense Advisor Yuriy Sak said this in a commentary for the Washington Post.

“If we all pull our weight … and decisions are made quickly,” Sak said Friday, “I would estimate that end of September, early October, we could see the first F-16s flying in the Ukrainian airspace.”

The Washington Post suggests that the timing of the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine may not be as fast as it could be because potential suppliers - primarily the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Poland - need time to check their arsenals, and Ukrainian pilots need to be trained.

• On May 19, US President Joe Biden said that the United States would not mind training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.

• The United States and its allies plan to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets as part of long-term efforts to strengthen the country's security. 

• On May 20, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Ukraine has not yet received F-16s, as other types of weapons will play a crucial role in the counteroffensive.