Days after US President Joe Biden endorsed training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, Russia said the transfer would raise questions over NATO’s involvement in the conflict. Russia’s Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov questioned the military alliance on what would happen if American soldiers took off from NATO airfields.
“There is no infrastructure for the operation of the F-16 in Ukraine and the needed number of pilots and maintenance personnel is not there either,” said Antonov in remarks published on the embassy’s Telegram channel.
“What will happen if the American fighters take off from NATO airfields, controlled by foreign ‘volunteers’?” he questioned.
This is not the first instance when Moscow has raised questions over the involvement of the multi-role fighter aircraft. On Sunday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko responding to questions warned the West that providing Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets would carry ‘colossal risks’.
“We see that Western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario. It involves colossal risks for themselves,” said Grushko.
“In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the goals we have set.”
After much back-and-forth, the White House on Sunday approved a new $375 million military aid for Ukraine. The pledge came after Biden agreed to allow training on F-16 fighter jets, laying the groundwork for their eventual transfer to Kyiv.
“I have a flat assurance from Zelensky that they will not use it to go on and move onto Russian geographic territory, but wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine and the area, they would be able to do that,” Biden told reporters on Sunday.
Kyiv is in desperate need of more arms and advanced jets, especially after Moscow’s Wagner private military unit claimed it had finally managed to take full control of the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut after months of vicious fighting.
(With inputs from agencies)
