US Congress supports giving Ukraine F-16s, Pentagon says it “doesn't mind, but not now” – Yehor Cherniev

Yehor Cherniev, MP from the Servant of the People party, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence and Head of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, said this on Espreso TV. 

“We are now working on the process of training our pilots - not even in the United States, but in other countries that can do this as well. I think that this is exactly the loophole through which we can push this process. When we were in the United States a week ago, we talked to the Congress, the State Department, and the Pentagon about the aircraft,” he said.

According to Cherniev, the Congress absolutely supports Ukraine - they are writing letters in support of the F-16.

“The Pentagon is signaling to our defense minister through unofficial channels that they have heard everything - 'we know what you want, don't push so hard' - but they are also saying that there is a basket they can provide. Now it contains armored vehicles, air defense systems, and shells. 'What can we take out of it to put expensive airplanes in it?' They say that they are limited in the money they can spend on us. 'This is not a political decision, we are not against the transfer of F-16s, but let's not do it now. Right now we will provide everything necessary for a counteroffensive. Then we'll talk about the planes.' This is the position for now,” summarized the MP.

• On April 29, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, Yuriy Ihnat, said that several dozen Ukrainian pilots were ready to fight on F-16s.