Not necessarily F-16 fighters. Kuleba confident Ukraine will receive combat aircraft

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba is confident that Ukraine will be able to receive combat aircraft from Western partners. And those do not necessarily have to be American F-16 fighters.

The minister's statement was published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to Kuleba, from the point of view of the mass market and availability of service, the basic model for Ukraine is the American F-16. At the same time, it is not necessary that this model will become the first foreign combat aircraft that Ukraine will receive.

"It is not important whether it will be an American F-16, a Swedish Gripen, a French Mirage or Rafale, or a Eurofighter. It is important to open a position, remove the taboo and get the first squadron of aircraft. Then we will decide, taking into account the availability on the market and the service for which it is the model to make the main bet," he emphasized.

The minister noted that Western partners are held back only by psychological barriers that previously prevented receiving HIMARSes, Patriot air defense systems, and tanks. In his opinion, the allies' fears about combat aircraft are not justified, as it was with previous types of weapons, so a decision should be made as soon as possible.

"Ukraine has already assembled a kind of tank zoo. We have the decision to provide Leopard, Challenger, and Abrams and we are working on obtaining French Leclerc tanks. The main thing here is to open a position," he emphasized.

It will be recalled that Kuleba previously stated that Germany will not play a key role in the issue of the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine. The United States will have the last word.

Meanwhile, Biden confirmed that he is against sending F-16s to Ukraine.