President Joe Biden said on Monday that he would not send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Washington:
President Joe Biden said Monday he would not send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help in the war against Russian invaders, but said he would visit key ally Poland.
“No,” he said when asked by reporters at the White House whether he was in favor of sending the jets, which Ukraine’s leaders have said topped their latest weapons wish list.
This month Western nations finally agreed after severe divisions to send Ukraine modern NATO-standard tanks, one of the most powerful weapons in their conventional armies.
The upgrade in support raised hopes in Kyiv that it would soon begin receiving F-16 warplanes to bolster its frail air force, but the issue remains hotly debated in the West.
As the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches on February 24, there are growing hopes that Biden could travel to Europe as a show of support for the coalition backing Ukraine. Poland is at the heart of the effort as a logistics hub, provider of arms and key US ally in Eastern Europe.
When asked about the trip, he told reporters, “I’m going to Poland. I don’t know when, though.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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