In a major U-turn, President Joe Biden said on Friday the US will back giving Ukraine advanced fighter jets including F-16s – days after Britain and the Netherlands promised an “international coalition” to send Kyiv the US-made jets it has long demanded. But analysts warn this will be an immense logistical challenge – from ensuring Ukraine has weapons to carry on the planes to ensuring their delivery does not escalate the conflict beyond Ukraine's borders.
After months of Ukrainian demands for F-16s as Kyiv plans its counteroffensive against Russia, the US finally gave the green light as Biden attended the G7 summit in Japan – a move President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed as a “historic decision”.
