US outlines conditions for giving Ukraine F-16 fighter jets and training Ukrainian pilots to fly them
The US would be willing to participate in the F-16 training of Ukrainian pilots if there were more pilots in need of it than the European nations are able to handle.
Both the Netherlands and Denmark have announced their intentions to make F-16 fighter jets from their own fleets available to Ukraine, following the US approval for the third-party transfer of US-made F-16 aircraft to Ukraine.
During a discussion with the Pentagon press corps, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the US is "open to training existing pilots if capacity is reached in Europe".
"That's the condition. So, if Denmark and the Netherlands are taking the lead on training, if they just do not have the capacity... to train as many pilots as Ukraine wants to send or plans to send, then we will... help train stateside," the Deputy Press Secretary said.
The Ukrainian pilots will need to go through "significant English-language training," to be ready to fly the F-16, and that will take some time, Ms Singh said.
The Deputy Press Secretary also said that she does not have the numbers of how many pilots will need to be trained as that will be decided by Ukraine.
A coalition of 11 countries will start the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets later this month in Denmark.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Greece has also offered to help train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.
It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Greece would take part in the training of his country's air force pilots for F-16 jets.
The president made the announcement during a joint press-conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.
While no details were given of how the training programme would be delivered, other officials from a coalition of 11 nations have said F-16 training would take place in Denmark and Romania.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the US would be willing to consider giving Ukraine F-16 fighter jets after the completion of training for Ukrainian pilots on the aircraft.
"In order for the third-party transfer to be completed, there are certain criteria that have to be met, including the English language training other things like logistics on the ground," the Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary continued.
"So once that criteria is met, we'll be in a position to authorise the transfer."
Since the early stages of the full-scale invasion, President Zelensky has been actively seeking to secure F-16s from Western nations.
President Zelensky said he is 'confident' that F-16 fighter jets will ensure that Russia will lose the war.
Russia warned that supplying the jets to Ukraine would escalate the war that has been ongoing for more than a year.
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