NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that when Ukraine receives F-16 fighter jets from the allies, it will have the right to strike at Russian military targets outside of our country. Stoltenberg said this in an interview with Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, UNN reports.
Details
According to Stoltenberg, each ally will decide for itself whether to supply F-16s to Ukraine, and allies have different policies. But at the same time, the war in Ukraine is aggressive, he said, and Ukraine has the right to self-defense, including striking legitimate Russian military targets outside of Ukraine.
Asked when Ukraine would be able to deploy the F-16s, Stoltenberg said he could not say for sure. He reiterated that all of Ukraine's allies want them there as soon as possible, but said that the effect of the F-16s will be stronger if the pilots are well trained and the maintenance crews and other support personnel are well prepared.
"So I think we have to listen to the military experts as to when we will be ready or when the Allies will be ready to start sending and delivering F-16s," he said. He also added: "The sooner the better.
Addendum
The first four Ukrainian pilots are scheduled to complete training on F-16 fighter jets by summer. The pilots began training in mid-October at the 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, Arizona. The Pentagon said the training process will last several months.