NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenbergon Friday said that although F-16 fighters will strengthen the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they will not be able to radically change the situation in Ukraine’s war against Russia.
Stoltenberg made the prediction during an interview with German news outlet Bild, during which he talked about how NATO allies are supplying Ukraine with F-16s and training Ukrainian pilots to fly the planes.
F-16 for Ukraine
Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian officials asked their Western allies to provide them with Lockheed Martin-made F-16 aircraft, considered among the world's most powerful. multi-purpose military aircraft in the world.
Now watching
At first, Kyiv's partners resisted requests for fighter jets. Last year, several countries pledged to provide Ukraine with F-16s, but the timing of the aircraft's arrival remains vague.
But while some Ukrainian officials talk about the F-16 as a potential weapon that could change the course of the war, Stoltenberg is not convinced that these fighters alone will change the course of the war.
— One system cannot change the situation on the battlefield, — Stoltenberg said in an interview with the Bild newspaper.
According to the Secretary General of the Alliance, F-16 fighters “are not a silver bullet that can change the course of the war“ ;.
At the same time, Jens Stoltenberg points out that Western aircraft cannot become a decisive factor for the defense of Ukraine, but these fighters are “important” for the Ukrainian military.
— They will further strengthen Ukraine's ability to repel Russian aggression, — he said.
Relevance of the F-16 for Ukrainian troops
Stoltenberg's comments come as an unnamed senior Ukrainian Armed Forces officer told Politico that the delay in the arrival of the F-16 is causing these fighters are not as relevant as they might have been before.
— Often we simply don't get weapons systems at the time we need them. Each weapon has its own time. F-16s were needed in 2023; they won't fit in 2024, — said the unnamed officer.
According to Politico, Russia anticipated the arrival of the F-16 by considering where to install its advanced air defense systems and radars in Russian-controlled Crimea to target the aircraft.
At the same time, Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Alexey Goncharenko said in an interview with Newsweek that Kyiv will still benefit from fourth-generation fighters.
— They will help our air defense, they will push Russian planes further from the front line, — he said.
Since Russia widely uses powerful guided bombs along the entire front line, “F-16 can help us keep Russian aircraft further from the front line”, Goncharenko said.
Recall that according to previously made reports, Ukraine will have to receive the first F-16 fighters in June of this year.
In turn, the government, commenting on the delivery of these aircraft, noted that all the necessary decisions on obtaining the F-16 have already been made and the process is moving according to plan.
