BIDEN SAYS HE WON'T SEND UKRAIN F-16 FIGHTER JETS "FOR NOW"

On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Biden said Friday

that he’s ruled out supplying the Ukrainian armed forces with F-16 fighter jets, at least “for now.” 

The 80-year-old president made the declaration during an interview with ABC News anchor David Muir, and comes despite repeated calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the multi-role aircraft. 

“Look, we’re sending him what our seasoned military thinks he needs now,” Biden told Muir during the White House interview. 

“He needs tanks. He needs artillery. He needs air defense, including another [High Mobility Artillery Rocket System]. There’s things he needs now that we’re sending him to put him in a position to be able to make gains this spring and this summer going into the fall,” the president said.

“He doesn’t need F-16s now,” Biden added. “There is no basis upon which there is a rationale, according to our military, now, to provide F-16s.” (New York Post)