US open to training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets

WASHINGTON

The US is open to training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets that NATO is in the process of providing to assist Kyiv in its fight against Russia, the White House said Friday.

European allies are currently leading the training effort, but National Security spokesperson John Kirby said that if their capacity is reached "we are certainly open to doing the training for Ukrainian pilots here in the United States."

"This is a multi-step process, and we're committed to helping our allies move that process along as quickly as it possibly can," Kirby told reporters. "The President approved providing Ukraine with these fourth-generation aircraft, and we've been eager to move forward with providing Ukraine that long-term capability."

Denmark and the Netherlands are playing a leading role among Western countries in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. The UK is separately providing Ukrainian pilots with English-language training because the instrumentation and manuals of the aircraft are written in English.