Biden did not support the idea of ​​​​transferring F-16 fighters to Ukraine

President Joe Biden said on Monday that the United States would not send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, which Ukraine’s defense minister had requested the day before. However, Biden has promised to visit Poland, Kiev’s most important ally.
“No,” Biden replied monosyllabically, commenting at the White House on a reporter’s question about whether the president supported sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
This month, Western countries, after long discussions, agreed to send modern tanks to Ukraine.
The growing support has raised hopes in Kiev that the Ukrainians will soon be able to get F-16s to support their air force, but the issue is still hotly debated in the West.
As the first anniversary of the full-blown Russian invasion on Feb. 24 approaches, Biden is increasingly expected to travel to Europe to show his support for the alliance. Poland is at the center of the effort as a logistics hub, arms supplier and key US ally in Eastern Europe.
“I’m going to Poland. It’s true, I don’t know when,” Biden told reporters when asked about the trip.
Ukraine’s defense minister said last week he would now push for fourth-generation western fighter jets such as the US F-16 after Kiev secured the tanks.
Earlier Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Mykolaiv. This visit was one of the few visits by foreign leaders to an area close to the front lines.
During the meeting, Zelenskyyy said that Russia is not stopping its attacks on the front lines in eastern Ukraine and is moving more and more PMC Wagner fighters there.