Sullivan provides details of Biden-Zelenskyy discussion on delivery of F-16s
Providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets is a matter of long-term defense, Sullivan said (Photo:REUTERS/Ints Kalnins)
Presidents Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said at a town hall meeting on Feb. 23, CNN reports.
However, according to him, aviation "is not the key capability needed for now".
In a comment to CNN, Sullivan stated that the fighter jets could not be effective in a future counter-offensive by Ukraine.
"F-16s are not a question for the short-term fight," he said.
“F-16s are a question for the long-term defense of Ukraine and that's a conversation that President Biden and President Zelenskyy had.”
Earlier, U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said that "some countries in Europe" are interested in making deliveries of fighter jets. She added that "this is an evolving picture" which changes depending on what Ukraine needs at any given moment.
Previously, U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz asserted they would not provide the aircraft to Ukraine. Poland stated it was ready to act only if there was broad support from the West.
According to Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, a positive decision on the transfer of aircraft to Ukraine is a matter of “one or two months.”
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