Ukraine is looking for foreign pilots with experience flying the F-16

Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has appealed to international pilots who know how to fly F-16 fighter jets to help in the war.

"If there are pilots who know how to fly F-16s and are ready to take part in the war, we are ready to open the door," said Reznikov.

Ukraine has been asking allies for US-made F-16s for months, although so far none are believed to have been donated.

Washington has ruled out sending those planes to Ukraine for the time being, saying it would take at least 18 months.

The F-16 is a highly maneuverable, versatile fighter aircraft that can reach speeds of more than 1,200 miles per hour.

A few weeks ago, White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said that the provision of "F-16" fighters to Ukraine is not on the table at the present time, stressing that there is no change in Washington's approach on this issue.

Ukraine is striving to persuade its Western allies to provide more qualitative support, in order to help it confront the Russian army, which launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Last month, the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, agreed to "train the Ukrainians to use F-16s," while some found it at the time a shift in the US position regarding moving forward in arming Ukraine with this advanced type of fighter that can change field conditions by confronting the fighters. Russian.