Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy yesterday made a landmark visit to Hiroshima for talks with G7 leaders, after securing long-sought access to advanced US fighter jets for Ukraine’s war effort.
Zelenskiy’s surprise summit appearance — he had been expected to appear by video call — is his furthest foray from Kyiv since Russia’s invasion began 15 months ago.
He arrived significantly buoyed by what he called a “historic” White House decision to allow Ukraine access to F-16 jets, among the most sophisticated materiel yet supplied by the West.
Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service / handout via Reuters
On landing, Zelenskiy said the summit would bring “increased cooperation for our victory,” and that “today, peace will be closer.”
After a winter of fighting that saw Russian gains in the eastern city of Bakhmut, Ukraine’s forces have regrouped for a counteroffensive, but they remain dependent on the flow of Western weaponry.
Military experts say the aircraft would be a significant upgrade from Ukraine’s aging Soviet-era fleet, offering greater ability to eventually strike targets in the air or on the ground.
They are also a potent symbol of Western support for Ukraine, forestalling any talk of waning interest as the conflict grinds on.
Mick Ryan, a retired Australian major general, called the decision “very significant.”
“F-16s have the sensors and weapon systems that are either equal to, or overmatch, Russian fighters,” he said, adding that the jets would make life “more difficult” for Russian missile-launching aircraft operating in and around Ukraine.
Until now, US President Joe Biden had effectively vetoed the transfer of US-made F-16s, with officials citing long pilot training times and the risk of escalating the conflict with Russia.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said there had been no about-face in US policy, and the decision was based on the “exigencies of the conflict.”
“We’ve reached a moment where it’s time to look down the road and to say: ‘What is Ukraine going to need ... to be able to deter and defend against Russian aggression?’” he said.
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