US rules out sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

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US president Joe Biden has ruled out sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, delivering a blow to Kyiv’s push to secure the combat aircraft just a week after Washington and Berlin agreed to supply it with tanks.

Last week, the Financial Times reported that some more hawkish European countries were having preliminary discussions about re-exporting F-16s directly to Ukraine. Other countries have encouraged focusing on the smooth delivery of the tanks committed by western allies.

Ukrainian officials are pressing to secure as much lethal assistance from the US and other partners to prepare for a renewed offensive in the spring. Washington has so far rebuffed calls to send F-16s, fearing the move could be escalatory.

Source - https://www.ft.com/content/bc2c736f-9e55-42eb-8ac2-e8309ed11f32, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/biden-says-no-f-16s-ukraine-russia-claims-gains-2023-01-31/

[CannaeDrive 3,412]

There's a pattern here: first they deny sending certain types of weapons, for fear of "escalating", then they proceed later to deliver such weapons. That's my understanding of weapons delivery to Ukraine since February 2022.

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21 minutes ago, CannaeDrive said:

There's a pattern here: first they deny sending certain types of weapons, for fear of "escalating", then they proceed later to deliver such weapons. That's my understanding of weapons delivery to Ukraine since February 2022.

Exactly!  I expect the US will eventually send them as it was the case with everything else before.

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Video talking about why the frontlines are moving so slow, when the tanks will be delivered and what other arms Ukraine asks from NATO. It also adresses the risks that avanced fighter jets would allow Ukraine to strike targets within Russian Federation's territory, therefore US is considerate about sending them: