On the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Biden said Friday that he ruled out supplying the Ukrainian armed forces with F-16 fighters, at the least “for now.”
The 80-year-old president made an announcement during m.in interview with ABC News anchor David Muirand comes despite repeated calls by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a multi-role aircraft.
“Look, we’re sending him what our experienced military thinks he needs right away,” Biden told Muir during a White House interview.
“It needs tanks. Needs artillery. Needs air defenses, including another [High Mobility Artillery Rocket System]. There are things he needs now as we send him in in order that he can turn a profit this spring and this summer going into fall,” the president said.
“He doesn’t need an F-16 right away,” Biden added. “In line with our military, there’s currently no basis on which to justify supplying the F-16.”
![Biden and Zelensky](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/ukraine-f-16-3.jpg?w=1024)
When Muir pressed further, asking the commander-in-chief if he ruled out sending fighter jets to Ukraine in the longer term, Biden said, “I’m ruling that out for now.”
Last month, in a shocking retreat from Pentagon opposition, Biden announced that the US would supply Ukraine with 31 M1 Abrams tanks.
The decision got here after months of deliberation as Ukraine pleaded for tanks ahead of a renewed Russian offensive expected this spring.
However the Biden administration staunchly opposed sending fighter jets to the previous Soviet state, as did other nations resembling Poland.
Ukraine has reportedly been quietly lobbying the US since at the least last fall on the F-16.
Most recently, Ukraine’s top officials met Democrats and Republicans from the Senate and House of Representatives on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, urging them to place pressure on Biden on the F-16.
![An aviator drives an F-16 Fighting Falcon during training at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar, January 24, 2022.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/biden-f16-fighter-jets-ukraine-refusal-feat-image.jpg?w=1024)
“They told us they desired to [F-16s] to suppress enemy air defenses so that they can move their drones beyond the Russian front lines, Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) told Reuters last Saturday.
The president’s remarks on Friday echo his unequivocal “no” answer last month, when he was asked about sending fighter jets to Ukraine to fend off a Russian invasion.
To mark Friday’s anniversary of the beginning of the conflict, the US pledged to send one other $2 billion in military aid to Kiev.
The Pentagon said the brand new package includes aerial drones, ammunition for missile systems and howitzers, and mine clearance and communications equipment.