Austin talks about "progress" in preparation of training of Ukrainian pilots

Lloyd Austin, the head of the Pentagon, reported that the preparation of the training plan for the Ukrainian pilots has made progress, even though it will take some time.

Source: Austin at the press conference on 15 June following the Ramstein meeting, as reported by a European Pravda correspondent from Brussels

Quote: "Our counterparts from the Netherlands and Denmark reported about the progress they had achieved in the implementation of the plans for training the Ukrainian pilots of the fighter jets of the fourth generation, including F-16s."

He added that both countries are currently working on training plans.

"A few other countries have joined to help them in their efforts. The work is ongoing. Today we received a general description of the plan and the first steps forward," the head of the Defence Department added.

He recalled that the US must approve the training and "some other aspects of it".

"As you can expect, we continue to cooperate with the Netherlands and Denmark while they are working on this plan. It will take some time, but they are moving at a surprisingly fast pace and receiving support from other partners in the contact group," Austin noted.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced after the Ramstein-format meeting in Brussels that he had received a commitment from the allies to start training Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter jets.

Kajsa Ollongren, the Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, stated earlier that the Ukrainian pilots may start training on the US-made F-16 fighter jets as early as this summer.

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