US President Joe Biden, from left, and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyiv, February 20, 2023.
Washington – According to the US military, there is now no reason for the delivery of F-16 combat aircraft to Ukraine. In an interview with the ABC News station, US President Joe Biden said this, who again refused to send these weapons to Kiev. According to him, Washington is currently providing Ukraine with the weapons its military needs to make territorial gains in the spring and summer. Biden also criticized the peace plan presented by China on Friday.
Advertisement'; }
“No, he doesn't need F-16s now,” Biden answered when asked if he would supply Kiev with fighter jets, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently been asking for. According to Biden, American soldiers point out that there is no reason to supply Kiev with this type of weapons. Only in the future will it become clear what the next needs of the Ukrainian army will be, Biden added.
The United States is now providing Ukraine with the weapons it needs for an offensive in the spring and summer months. “Look, we're sending him (Zelensky) what our experienced military thinks he needs now. He needs tanks, artillery, air defense, and that includes another HIMARS (system),” Biden said.
Zelenskyy asked the US and other European allies for fighter jets last year, but in recent months he has stepped up his requests. Ukraine is now preparing for the expected intensification of the Russian offensive. According to Western officials, however, the delivery of fighter jets carries with it logistical problems during training and the potential threat of an escalation of the conflict with Russia. didn't send But Zelensky and other US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said at the same time that it was still an open discussion.
The US president also commented on China's plan to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. “I haven't seen anything in the plan to indicate that it contains anything that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia,” Biden said. At the same time, the American president warned Beijing against the supply of military equipment to Russia, saying that it would face harsh sanctions from Washington. “I don't foresee a major initiative by China in the supply of weapons to Russia, and we haven't seen it yet,” said Biden. Ukraine, including arms and ammunition.
Kiev rejected the 12-point document drawn up by Chinese diplomacy unless it included the withdrawal of Russian troops to the 1991 borders, but also said it was open to negotiations on some parts of the plan. On the contrary, Moscow supported him, saying that Ukraine should come to terms with the “new territorial reality”.
On Friday, the White House announced that the United States would provide Ukraine with additional military aid worth two billion dollars (about 44.63 billion CZK). This happened on the first anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
