The Pentagon said Tuesday that the decision to train Ukrainians on F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets is unlikely to aid any forthcoming counteroffensive push or immediately affect the conflict.
The department’s top spokesman, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, said the training will take place outside of Ukraine in Europe and characterized it as an investment in the medium- to long-term capabilities of Ukraine. But he offered few other details on the newly unveiled plans during a briefing to reporters.
President Joe Biden announced to world leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Japan last week that the U.S. and its allies will begin training Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets after months of requests from leaders in Kyiv.
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“F-16s for Ukraine is about the long-term commitment to Ukraine,” Ryder told reporters at a briefing, before adding that “these F-16s will not be relevant to the upcoming counteroffensive.”
Ryder told reporters that details on what the training will look like — especially when it will start, who will provide the jets and how — are still being worked out.
The Pentagon’s chief spokesman did say that “training will take place outside of Ukraine, at sites in Europe” and that officials “hope that we will be able to start the training within weeks or months — in the relatively near term.”
When asked whether the country could expect to get…
