White House says its providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets ‘not to escalate, but protect’
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"The first thing I would say to Minister Lavrov is: If you’re worried about Ukrainian military capabilities, then you should take your troops and leave Ukraine," he said.
F-16 fighter jets will be provided to Ukraine to meet its long-term defence needs, Kirby added.
"The purpose of providing advanced fighter aircraft is to help Ukraine defend itself, defend its — its airspace and its territorial integrity. Period," Kirby said.
It's such people as Lavrov, the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, not the U.S., who recklessly spread the nuclear narration, the secretary said, referring to Lavrov's recent claims that some of these aircraft are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
"The only thing Russia wants is to be left alone and stop trying to drag it into US-led mechanisms and globalist structures," Lavrov said during a press-conference on June 6, cynically calling Russians "peaceful people."
The UK the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark are ready to provide training for Ukrainian pilots and crews in Western aircraft, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on May 19.
Read also: What Does the F-16 Mean For Ukraine? — opinion
The United Kingdom will start training already this summer. The U.S. president also supports the idea of joint aircraft training for Ukrainians, CNN reported.
Who, when and how many fighter jets will be provided to Ukraine to be decided in near future, the White House said.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence hopes to get them as soon as this fall.
Kyiv expects to receive 40-50 F-16 fighter jets in order to form three or four squadrons, Advisor to the Defence Minister Yurii Sak said.
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