With the F-16s in Ukraine "a nuclear apocalypse scenario becomes more likely".
This was stated by former Russian president and current deputy head of the National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, commenting on the increasingly probable sending of jets to Kiev.
The supply, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added, "will not be able to fundamentally change the situation on the ground" in the conflict in Ukraine. Moscow's statements come on the day that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced that pilot training is already underway.
«The training of Ukrainian pilots for F-16s has already started in many countries, such as Poland. This will take time but the sooner you start the better. At the beginning there is discussion, the countries are reluctant, as for the Leopards, but in the end it gets there. And it is a further measure to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself", said Borrell, adding that "at the Defense Council today we will also deal with the European Peace Facility: thanks to this fund we have mobilized 10 billion in military aid to Ukraine compared to the 3.5 billion requests for reimbursements we have received, it is much more than we expected ».
Training which, after the green light from Washington, will also be carried out by the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Great Britain.
Yuriy Sak, adviser to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, said that "the Netherlands is in a position to be the first country to donate F-16s to Ukraine". This is because The Hague currently has 24 F-16s in use which are "operationally deployable and will remain in use until mid-2024. According to a European official, quoted by Politico, "it is realistic" to think that delivery could take place by the autumn .