Scholz on Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Potential allied programs for training Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighters send a signal to Russia that it cannot expect success in invading Ukraine, even in a protracted conflict, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Kiev has not met commitments for supplying aircraft, but U.S. President Joe Biden and senior officials indicated on Friday to G7 leaders that Washington supports joint programs for training Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighters.

The acquisition and use of modern aircraft by Ukraine is a sensitive issue for the G7 countries, which are gradually increasing their support for Kiev amid the 15-month war but remain cautious about escalating tensions with Moscow.

“Training pilots is a long-term project,” Scholz said before departing for the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. “The U.S. has not definitively decided what the outcome will be. The project sends a message to Russia. Russia cannot hope for victory if it intends to conduct a prolonged war.”

In turn, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that his country will cooperate with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark to “provide Ukraine with the necessary military air capability.”

A French military official, speaking at a press conference during the G7, was cautious about this process, stating that in France’s case, the proposal related to the foundational training of pilots. According to him, negotiations with Kiev are ongoing, and currently, no Ukrainian pilot is being trained in France.

France does not have F-16 fighters, only French-made Rafale aircraft and older generation Mirage 2000 jets. The official stated that training a person to operate a NATO-produced military aircraft from scratch could take four years, while an experienced pilot transitioning to Ukrainian jets would require 4-9 months.

“This is not an immediate priority for Ukraine. We are in a counter-offensive phase, and this exercise will not be ready in the coming weeks but in the long term,” he said.