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President Joe Biden has seemingly ruled out that the United States will be providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. In a short exchange with reporters on Jan. 30, Biden was asked if the United States would be providing F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, to which he simply replied, “No.”
Biden’s comments follow a similar announcement from Germany’s chancellor, who also declined to send such fighter jets. Ukraine has been pushing its allies for advanced warplanes to help Kyiv take control of its airspace, but the United States and its partners fear that this could lead to further escalation with Russia.
The Kremlin could argue that the F-16s could be used to hit targets inside Russia, which Moscow could interpret as a significant escalation in the war. Despite Moscow’s accusations of NATO aggression, member countries like the United States and Germany have been hesitant to provide military aid that might escalate the conflict.
The F-16 is widely considered one of the world’s most reliable fighter jets, armed with precision-guided missiles. The United States Air Force states that the F-16 fighter jet has the ability to carry precision-guided bombs and missiles and can reach speeds of 1,500 mph.
