US Congress calls possible sending of F-16 jets to Ukraine "not a wise use of resources"

The United States House Committee on Armed Services determined that the possibility of sending F-16 fighters to Ukraine "is not a wise use of the resources that are necessary to win the fight."

Source: CNN, as reported by European Pravda

"The honest truth is the cost of trying to get the F-16 up and ready to operate in Ukraine, even if we basically said there’s nothing more important than that one weapon system, and spent all of our time and all of our resources on doing it, best case scenario, we could maybe get some operational F-16’s into Ukraine within a year, maybe eight months if we really pushed it," ranking member Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington, said at a hearing on Ukraine oversight.

Smith added that the F-16 will "struggle to survive" on the battlefield.

"You don't just have to train the pilots. You have to train the mechanics, you have to have airfields that can accommodate the F-16 and you have to have the spare parts to make it work," he noted.

As sources familiar with the meeting told CNN, because some Republican lawmakers threaten to block future aid to Ukraine, a small group of GOP House members who recently visited the country promised to consider a list of key weapons and other essentials when they meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,

Zelenskyy, who met with Michael McCaul, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and four other GOP members, said he planned to send a list of weapons, including F-16 fighter jets, that he believes are needed to speed up the end of the war with Russia.

At the same time, both President Joe Biden and General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have previously opposed the transfer of fighter jets because of concerns that it could lead to an escalation of the conflict.

Last week, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and head of US European Command, told 10 GOP lawmakers at a closed-door briefing that the F-16 jets would help Ukraine win. When asked if this was true, Cavoli said yes, as the source said, confirming details first reported by Politico.

While Cavoli's comments go beyond what senior US officials have said publicly, they also reflect divisions within the Pentagon, particularly a split with the more cautious approach of Milley, who has long been wary of any move that could provoke an escalation from Russia.

Background: US President Joe Biden has ruled out the possibility of sending modern American fighter jets to Ukraine "for now," despite repeated public calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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