Ukraine war: US to support providing F16 fighter jets to Ukraine

The US says it volition enactment providing precocious combatant jets including US-made F-16s to Ukraine and besides backmost grooming Ukrainian pilots to alert them.

A elder White House authoritative said President Biden had told G7 leaders successful Japan of the decision.

President Volodomyr Zelensky, who has requested combatant jets for months, said the determination would "greatly heighten our service successful the sky".

The UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark besides welcomed the move.

The US would "support a associated effort with our allies and partners to bid Ukrainian pilots connected fourth-generation combatant aircraft, including F-16s, to further fortify and amended the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force", the authoritative said.

"As the grooming takes spot implicit the coming months, our conjugation of countries participating successful this effort volition determine erstwhile to really supply jets, however galore we volition provide, and who volition supply them."

The announcement by the US volition beryllium viewed arsenic a large breakthrough for the aerial capabilities of Ukraine, which has repeatedly lobbied its Western allies to supply jets to assistance successful its combat against Russia.

Mr Zelensky welcomed what helium described arsenic a "historic decision", adding that helium looked guardant to "discussing the applicable implementation" of the program astatine the G7 acme successful Hiroshima.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak besides backed the move, tweeting: "The UK volition enactment unneurotic with the USA and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat aerial capableness it needs."

The Ukrainian person is owed to question to Japan to conscionable G7 leaders, with his bureau confirming connected Friday that helium was owed to conscionable Mr Biden successful Japan successful the coming days.