F-16 aircraft to start arriving in Ukraine along with pilots and maintenance this year – Pentagon Chief
Donated F-16 aircraft along with pilots and maintenance personnel will start to arrive in Ukraine this year, United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III has said.
"Over the past two years the members of this Contact Group have committed more than 70 mid- to long-range air defense systems along with thousands of missiles. We provided more than 3,000 armored vehicles, including more than 800 main battle tanks. We've given Ukraine tens of thousands of anti-tank missiles. And this year, more than a squadron of donated F-16s will start to arrive in Ukraine along with pilots and maintenance trained by members of this Contact Group," he said while opening the 21st meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group online on Friday.
According to the Pentagon chief, the Contact Group continues to step up to meet Ukraine's most urgent needs.
He thanked President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Defense Minister of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky for their participation in the meeting.
Austin assured that the partners continue to support Ukraine.
"As I said in Ramstein two years ago, my Ukrainians friends, we know the burden that you all carry. And you should know that all of us have your back. We still do. And we won't back down," he said.
The U.S. Secretary of Defense also recalled that this week the U.S. Congress and the President signed into law a package that includes $60.8 billion in additional funding related to Ukraine.
"Putin's aggression against Ukraine is a security problem for us all. And we must continue to tackle it together. Two years later I am not just proud, I am determined," he said.