Zelensky Hails 'Powerful' F-16 Jet Offer as U.S. Mulls Final Decision

Ukraine has received a "serious, powerful offer" in its quest for Western-made fighter jets, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, although the U.S. is yet to make a formal decision on sending the advanced aircraft to Kyiv.

"Our partners know how many aircraft we need," Zelensky told the media during a press conference on Tuesday. "I have already received an understanding of the number from some of our European partners, and it is powerful," he added, according to a readout published by the presidential office.

"I am very happy with the information I received from some countries," Zelensky continued. "I just had a day of happiness. It was a serious, powerful offer."

Ukraine has long called for its Western backers to provide advanced fighter jets, which would be a considerable upgrade from its current, Soviet-era planes. Ukraine has already received deliveries of MiG-29s, which it has operated for years.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told European media in an interview in late May that Ukraine would need around 100 Western jets, mostly U.S. made F-16s. Experts have indicated to Newsweek that Kyiv would need between "dozens" and 100 well-operated jets to make a significant difference to its air force.

Several countries, including the U.K., have committed to forming an "international coalition" of fighter jets that will "provide Ukraine with combat air capabilities, supporting with everything from training to procuring F-16 jets."

The U.S. has said it supports joint training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, but hasn't said whether it will provide the aircraft.

Ukraine is still waiting on "a joint agreement with the United States," Zelensky said on Tuesday. The Ukrainian leader didn't specify which other allies he was referring to.

Sending fighter jets to Ukraine is seen as a longer-term commitment to arming Ukraine than previous military aid packages.

On Monday, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that the F-16 can be modified to carry nuclear weapons.

Conversations around F-16s are "about helping Ukraine with its self-defense needs," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told a media briefing on Tuesday when asked about Lavrov's comments.

"I'm not going to talk about the nuclear capabilities of any platform in the American arsenal," Kirby added, saying: "The purpose of providing advanced fighter aircraft is to help Ukraine defend itself, defend its — its airspace and its territorial integrity. Period."

But the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, warned in late May that the jets would not be "magic weapons" for Ukraine.

Experts have previously highlighted that integrating a brand-new system like the F-16 into Ukraine's air force is not just about the platform itself, but the logistics, training and planning that surrounds the effective use of the jets.