Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Tebboune: Achieving economic integration must not remain a dream.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf delivers a speech on behalf of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the Fifth Arab Development, Economic, and Social Summit in Baghdad.
Mustafa: We reaffirm our commitment to work with our brothers and friends around the world for stability and an end to wars.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa: We stress the importance of reaching an agreement to implement the initiatives of the Development, Economic, and Social Summit.
Aboul Gheit: The global economy is going through a period of turbulence.
Aboul Gheit: Concrete solutions must be found for the issue of Arab food security in line with the strategy proposed at the Arab Summit in Baghdad.
Aboul Gheit: Arab national security is an integrated whole that cannot be achieved without food, social, cyber, and other forms of security.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit: We present a comprehensive Arab strategy for food security at the Arab Development Summit.
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: We reaffirm our absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people and call for the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip.
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: The goal of the Arab Summit is to unify our efforts and achieve the interests of the peoples of our region.

Biden insists on not sending F-16 jets to Ukraine

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 7 Feb 2023 13:27
3 Min Read

The US President's comments do not rule out any possibility of the US approval to send the F-16 fighter jets from other countries to Ukraine, such as Poland.

  • x
  • A US Air Force member marshalling an F-16 fighter jet in Romania in February 2022 (Reuters)
    A US Air Force member marshalling an F-16 fighter jet in Romania in February 2022 (Reuters)

US President Joe Biden is determined to keep F-16 fighter jets in the US instead of sending them to Ukraine. During his briefing in the White House, when asked why he took that decision, Biden said without any further clarification: “Because we should keep them here. That’s a totally different situation,” 

Although Biden says that Washington won't be sending F-16 fighter jets, the US already agreed to transfer 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine last month.

However, his comments do not rule out any possibility of the US approval to send the fighter jets from other countries to Ukraine, as a senior executive with Lockheed Martin told the Financial Times spoke of “a lot of conversation about third party transfer of F-16s” to Ukraine.

Read next: Macron does not exclude France providing fighter jets for Ukraine

Related News

EU to impose higher tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural goods in June

Poland open for talks on French nuclear shield treaty

Not a current possibility from Poland 

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak replied on Monday about whether his country intends to send the fighter jets to Ukraine: "we have too few of them, only 48", followed by a remark by Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki that delivery is possible if this is a “decision of the whole of NATO.”

But, Polish sources reported on February 1 that Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Marcin Ociepa said that supplying Kiev with F-16 fighter jets is currently not on the agenda, citing logistic issues. "As of today, this topic [shipping of F-16 to Ukraine] is not on the agenda, if we talk about operational activities and primarily about political decisions," Ociepa told Polish reporters.

"[Training pilots for F-16 jets would take] many months. If we shorten training, then I think it may take six months. But it will be in a very urgent mode. Normally, it will take more time," he added.

Politico said last month that US officials are reportedly more concerned with Ukraine's dwindling missile stockpiles for air defense systems at the moment. The DoD official involved in the discussions warned that if Ukraine ran out of its arsenal, Russia's advanced fighter jets would come to dominate the country's airspace and Kiev would "not be able to compete."

Meanwhile, some Pentagon officials argue that the Ukrainian forces have a more pressing need for "traditional" air defense systems — including Patriots and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) — rather than F-16s, which may "take months" to arrive.

On January 31, Biden stressed his first "no" to sending the jets to Ukraine. 

  • Poland
  • F-16
  • US
  • fighter jets
  • Ukraine
  • Joe Biden
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Two F-35 jets arrive at it's new operational base Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, at Hill Air Force Base, in northern Utah. (AP)

F-35 near-misses over Yemen signal new risks for 'Israel': Forbes

  • Politics
  • 14 May 2025
Palestinians pray over bodies of people killed in the Israeli bombardment who were brought from the Shifa hospital before burying them in a mass grave in the town of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP )

Gaza casualty figures mask a much bigger horror, new study shows

  • Politics
  • 11 May 2025
Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

  • Politics
  • 15 May 2025
Abu Obaida

Abu Obeida posts shortly after Israeli reports about his assassination

  • Palestine
  • 15 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
A Microsoft sign and logo are pictured at the company's headquarters, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Redmond, Wash. (AP)
Technology

Microsoft admits supplying AI to 'Israel' amid Gaza carnage

Israeli occupation’s tanks parked in a staging area near the border with Gaza, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP)
Politics

'Israel' launches multi-axis assault in Gaza under 'Gideon’s Chariots'

People stand at the train ticket counter of NJ Transit at Penn Station, amid a strike by New Jersey Transit train engineers, in New York, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP)
Economy

Commuters stranded amid first New Jersey railway strike in 40 years

Trump's tax bill stalls as Republican opposition demands deeper cuts
US & Canada

Trump's tax bill stalls as Republican opposition demands deeper cuts

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS