Jake Sullivan, the US President’s National Security Advisor, has confirmed that Washington will join the efforts of other countries to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighters, including F-16s.

Source: Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor to the US President, during a briefing on Friday

The White House representative recalled that over the past few months, the US and its allies and partners have really focused on providing Ukraine with the systems, weapons and training that it needs to be able to conduct effective offensive operations this spring and summer.

Quote: "We have delivered what we promised. We have given Ukraine what it needs based on close consultations between our military and theirs. And now we have turned to discussions about improving the Ukrainian air force as part of our long-term commitment to Ukraine’s self-defence," he elaborated.

Sullivan confirmed that in the coming months, the US and its allies will work to determine when planes will be delivered, who will be delivering them, and how many fighter jets Ukraine will receive.

Asked why the US had not granted Ukraine's request for F-16s earlier, Biden's adviser emphasised that Washington’s priority was to prepare Kyiv for the counteroffensive and provide the appropriate assets, from tanks to combat vehicles, rocket launcher systems and artillery ammunition.

"F-16s are not part of that mix [of assets]. And the President [Biden] was indicating that for the purposes of this counteroffensive, the F-16 capabilities, compared with everything else I said, was not at the top of the list," Sullivan added.

Background: Earlier this week, the UK announced the launch of an international coalition of countries to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighters, including F-16s. So far it includes the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, the United States and Portugal.

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