Portugal to help train Ukrainian pilots and engineers – Ukraine's Foreign Minister

Portugal has announced its participation in the so-called fighter jet coalition, offering to help with the training of Ukrainian pilots and engineers.

Source: This was discussed at a meeting between Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his Portuguese counterpart João Gomes Cravinho and the country’s Defence Minister Helena Carreiras, reports European Pravda.

During the meeting, Kuleba told the Portuguese partners about the situation at the front and outlined Ukraine’s military needs for effective defence and counterattack.

Quote: "Portugal has demonstrated leadership by joining the tank coalition. Given the intensification of Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages, it is critically important that Ukraine has the ability to overpower Russia in the Ukrainian sky," he said.

With this in mind, Kuleba expressed gratitude to the Portuguese government for its decision "to join the aircraft coalition by training Ukrainian pilots and engineers on Western combat aircraft," the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reports.

Earlier this week, the United Kingdom announced the launch of an international coalition of countries aimed at procuring F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine. So far it includes the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and the US.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden confirmed at the G7 summit in Japan that Washington will participate in the allied initiative to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighters, including the F-16.

According to media reports, the United States and its allies also plan to provide F-16 fighters to Ukraine, but not in the short term.

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