Pentagon top brass want to send F-16 FIGHTER JETS to Ukraine in bid to crush ... trends now
Pentagon officials want to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to fight Putin, after Volodymyr Zelensky's army secured tanks from Germany and the US.
Zelensky seeks fourth generation fighter jets which can reach speeds of more than 1,200mph - adding to nearly $30 billion in military and security assistance since Russia's invasion on February 24.
The contentious discussion on whether to send the jets to Ukraine has been ongoing as the Biden administration, which has so far rebuffed Kyiv's requests, must approve the transfers.
Deputy national security adviser Jonathan J. Finer claimed that while there is no set decision, the possibility is not off the table - but top brass are said to be keen.
'We have not ruled in or out any specific systems,' Finer said, according to The Telegraph. Any such donation of F-16s would further infuriate Vladimir Putin, and likely further inflame the badly-damaged relationship between Russia and the West.
Fourth generation fighter jets (above) can reach speeds of more than 1,200mph. The jets would add to nearly $30 billion in military and security assistance since Russia's invasion on February 24
A US senior defense official added: 'I don’t think we are opposed.'
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, said on Saturday that Ukrainian officials are focused on 'fast track' discussions about military weapons, such as war planes.
'We must show the real picture of this war... [and how] this will reduce security threats to the European continent,' Podolyak said about western allies, according to the news outlet.
The Biden administration must approve the transfer of fighter jets
Zelensky is preparing for the US to give in to another one of his requests as experienced pilots have already been identified to fly the fighter jets, Politico reported.
The F-16 fighter will add onto Kyiv's defense as the jet can fly for more than 500 miles and locate targets in all weather conditions - as well as detect low flying aircrafts in radar ground clutter.
The US has provided military support to Ukraine by deploying devastating missile systems, thousands of vehicles and more than 100 million pieces of ammunition.
Before the invasion, even the idea of supplying lethal aid to Ukraine was highly controversial but Western supplies have since shattered taboo
