Kirby: US open to training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s on its territory

The White House National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator, John Kirby, said that Washington is eager to move forward with the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets on its territory.

This was reported by the Ukrainian service of the Voice of America.

At the same time, Kirby stressed that Europe is leading the process of training the Ukrainian military.

"But if the capacity for training in Europe is reached, we are certainly open to doing the training for Ukrainian pilots here in the United States," he said.

He also said that the work on transferring the F-16 takes time, but it is ongoing. 

"It’s not just a function of the transfer of actual airframes, but the appropriate training for pilots, as well as setting up all the maintenance logistics and sustainment efforts that go into having modern aircraft like the F-16 in your fleet. It’s going to be a while," Kirby said.

The White House official noted that the process of getting the F-16 to Ukraine will be a multi-stage process, and "the United States is committed to helping allies move this process forward as quickly as possible."