Zelensky calls for speeding up the addition of F-16s to "keep out" Russian troops

MADRID, 26 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, has called in his speech on Friday night to "accelerate the time when the F-16s help us keep Russian terrorists away."

Zelenski considers that the "tasks" to be carried out for this to happen in the shortest possible time are "obvious".

Thus, first of all, it has demanded that the international team "maximize the expansion of the training missions" of the Ukrainian pilots who will lead the F-16 combat aircraft.

To the military, he has entrusted the mission of "lightening the preparation of the infrastructure as much as possible." He has also asked them to send pilots and engineers "to ensure Ukraine's full readiness."

The leader of the Ukrainian Executive has concluded his request emphasizing that accelerating the arrival of these combat planes to fight the Russian forces is something that will be achieved if they work "all together".

This Thursday, Zelensky had a telephone conversation with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, in which they discussed Washington's plans to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16s in the framework of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Minutes earlier, the Pentagon spokesman, General Patrick Ryder, confirmed that the training of Ukrainian pilots in handling F-16s -- an essential condition for the delivery of these devices to the Ukrainian Armed Forces -- would begin in October at the state of Arizona, although it did not specify the number of pilots who will participate in the training.

During his tour of northern Europe over the weekend, the Ukrainian president also received official confirmation from his Danish and Dutch partners that they would give him dozens of their F-16s, the long-awaited fighters that from Kiev are convinced that they can change definitely the sense of war in his favor.

The delivery of these American-made fighters -- it is estimated that the first will arrive in Ukrainian hangars by early 2024 -- is accompanied by the training of Ukrainian pilots in the United States.