US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Thursday that he expects Ukrainian pilots to start training on US F-16 fighter jets in the coming weeks.
According to Austin, this formation will strengthen Ukraine in the long run, but not necessarily as part of the expected spring counter-offensive against Russia.
The head of the Pentagon spoke at a virtual meeting of defense officials from around the world to discuss the military assistance that will be provided to Ukraine, which has been defending itself for 15 months from the war of occupation that Russia is waging on its territory seized in February 2018. year. last.
The rulers will also receive updates from Ukrainian leaders on military action, including preparations for a planned counteroffensive and how allies, who have faced pressure on their own arsenals, can continue to support Kiev’s fight against Russian forces.
“We’ll have to keep investigating and keep looking for creative ways to increase our industrial capacity,” Austin said before military leaders began their closed-door meeting.
European countries have indicated that they are in contact to find out which of them will have F-16s in stock.
The United States hesitated for more than a year to supply modern aircraft to Ukraine, and it was only last weekend that President Joe Biden agreed to allow other countries to send American-made fighter jets to Kyiv.
“We expect this training to begin in the coming weeks. [o que] will further strengthen and improve the long-term capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force and complement our short- and medium-term security measures,” Austin said.
“This new joint effort is a powerful signal of our unity and our long-term commitment to Ukraine’s self-defense,” he said.
The virtually assembled leaders are also expected to discuss Ukraine’s other ongoing military needs, including air defense systems and related munitions, artillery and other munitions.
European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell said on Tuesday that training for Ukrainian pilots had begun in Poland and some other countries, although Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said the training was still in the planning stages.
The Netherlands and Denmark, among others, are also planning to train Ukrainian pilots.
Ukraine has long been asking its allies to supply it with modern fighter jets to give it an edge against the Russian invasion, which is now in its second year.
The military offensive launched by Moscow on February 24, 2022 in Ukraine has so far caused the flight of more than 14.7 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.2 million to European countries – from, according to the latest UN data. , which classifies this migration crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
At least 18 million Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian assistance, and 9.3 million are in need of food aid and housing.
The Russian invasion, justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security, was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions on Russia.
The UN has presented as confirmed since the start of the war, which entered its 456th day this Thursday, 8,895 civilians killed and 15,117 wounded, stressing that these numbers are much lower than the real ones.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal

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