The United States and its NATO allies are not considering the possibility of handing over advanced combat aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets, to the Ukrainian armed forces as there is no need for such at the moment, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said.
"No," Smith told Air Force Magazine on Monday, when asked whether the US or NATO members had discussed the transfer of US aircraft to Ukraine.
Smith also said that the type of weapons provided to Kiev is tied to its needs on the battlefield in real time. She added that the US and NATO allies are "in constant contact with the Ukrainians." Contact group meetings at different moments have focused on air defence, ammunition, coastal defence and armoured vehicles.
"We've seen an evolution in terms of what's been provided. It reflects the evolution of the war, of the situation on the ground, of the Ukrainians own internal debates about what is needed in this moment," Smith said, as quoted by the media outlet.
According to Air Force Magazine, NATO's eastern flank official said that the alliance members did not "directly" talk about providing Kiev with US aircraft. The official said that the allies almost do not even discuss the transfer of Soviet-era fighters like MiG-29.
"There are other ways to sustain the [Ukrainian] Air Force," the official added.
In May, Poland transferred to Ukraine a large number of spare parts and weapons for MiG-29 fighter jets to help restore the country's air combat capabilities. Initially, the talks were focused on the transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine. However, an agreement at the NATO level was not reached.
Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly appealed to the West for additional arms deliveries. Although a number of countries have started supplying certain types of weapons to Kiev, the Ukrainian authorities are still dissatisfied. In particular, Kiev has repeatedly criticised Germany for slow deliveries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Ukraine needs all the weapons that it asks for and not what other countries give.
