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Biden offers Zelenskyy F-16 training, other military aid

US President Joe Biden on Sunday told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in person that the US will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 fighter in a joint effort with its allies and partners, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

Biden and Zelenskyy held talks on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G-7 summit in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Biden also announced an additional supply of ammunition and equipment worth USD 375 million, the report said. He said the brutality with which Russian President Vladimir Putin is conducting the assaults is something no one could have imagined. He also said that for that reason, the US will continue to do everything possible to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. For his part, Zelenskyy thanked Biden for his leadership and the aid, saying Ukrainians will never forget it. It was their second face-to-face meeting since February, when Biden made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

On Saturday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who is accompanying Biden, told reporters in Hiroshima that training of Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets will begin in the coming months. Sullivan said Biden informed the other G-7 leaders of the US intention to train Ukrainian pilots. Asked about the possibility of escalating tensions with Russia, Sullivan said the capability Washington is going to provide Ukraine will not enable Kyiv to attack Russian territory.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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