The West Will Not Supply F-16 Fighter Jets to Kyiv

The West is unwilling to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine due to the presence of Russia's ground-based air defense network, according to The Spectator.

“The skies over the Ukrainian contact line are covered with multiple layers of Russian air defenses, including the well-known S-400 Triumph air defense system,” the publication states.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested the West to send aircraft and long-range missiles, but some representatives of the U.S. administration have lobbied for the provision of F-16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In contrast, French President Emmanuel Macron has allowed the supply of military aircraft to Ukraine. Reports indicate that Paris is currently considering Kyiv's request for the training of Ukrainian pilots.

Russia sent a note to NATO countries last spring due to the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia's aerospace forces.