Germany and Great Britain see the decision on the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to the USA. “It’s up to the White House to decide whether to release this technology,” said British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace during a visit to Berlin. Britain has “no F-16s”. Therefore, his country’s role could be “only limited” and related only to training, coordination and logistics.
Ukraine has long demanded supplies of Western fighter jets and has expressed a preference for the US-made F-16. According to a British government spokesman, Great Britain and the Netherlands had previously agreed on an “international coalition” on the fringes of the Council of Europe summit in Iceland to provide Ukraine with combat aircraft. Unlike Britain, the Netherlands has F-16 fighter jets.
At a joint press conference with Wallace, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized that Germany “cannot play an active role” in a fighter jet alliance. Because it has “neither the training capacity (…) nor the aircraft”. He also said: “In the end, as far as I know, it depends on the White House anyway.” This would have to decide whether F-16 fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine.
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