US senators demand to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighters

Politico reported the information.

The government officials want to receive by the end of the week assessments of the factors needed to successfully transfer F-16s to Ukraine. The senators noted in the letter that the war with Russia "now at a critical juncture" and that the fighter jets could be an advantage for Kyiv.

"After speaking with US, Ukrainian, and foreign leaders working to support Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last month, we believe the US needs to take a hard look at providing F-16 aircraft to Ukraine. This would be a significant capability that could prove to be a game changer on the battlefield," the senators wrote.

The appeal was initiated by Senator Mark Kelly (Arizona).

Earlier, representatives of the Biden government stated that fighter jets are not currently an urgent need on the battlefield compared to other weapons. 

"It is a priority for the Ukrainians, but it’s not one of their top three priorities. Their top priorities are air defense systems ... artillery and fires, which we’ve talked about, and armor and mechanized systems," said Colin Kahl, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

• Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Ukraine could receive Polish MiG-29 fighters within 4 to 6 weeks.