Russia’s War in Ukraine
Many taboos have been broken over the past 14 months when it comes to Western military aid for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team, including myself as foreign minister, have been very active—and vocal—about what our country needs to fend off Russian aggression. Ukraine’s partners, most notably the United States, have been responsive to those calls, for which we are and will always be grateful.
The supply of military aid to Ukraine has been, and remains, a gargantuan task and is probably the largest logistical operation by the West since World War II. The United States has led this effort with extraordinary zeal.
As the war enters a new stage, it is vitally important to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.
By taking this strategic step, Washington will not only save many Ukrainian lives and ensure Ukraine’s battlefield successes, but it will also help to alleviate the global food crisis, gain valuable experience that will strengthen the U.S. Air Force, and ensure long-term stability in Europe.
To begin, Ukraine requires modern jets to strengthen our air and missile defenses, save lives, and protect civilians. Russian missiles and drones strike our peaceful cities at night, killing people—most tragically, children—while they are sleeping. They destroy critical civilian infrastructure and endanger nuclear power plants with flyovers. Ukraine currently intercepts approximately 75 percent of them using ground-based systems, including those supplied by our partners, and with air-to-air missiles launched from Ukraine’s outdated Soviet-era jets. Unfortunately, approximately 25 percent still meet their targets. F-16s will operate as one combined system with ground-based air defense, allowing us to shoot down Russian missiles long before they kill someone or destroy another energy facility.
Second, we require modern jets to support our ground forces. Air superiority is required as a precondition for any successful offensive operations under U.S. and NATO military doctrine. Ukraine has no such superiority, yet it has already liberated roughly half of the newly occupied territories with only a small fleet of Soviet-era aircraft. Ukraine has the capability of air denial but not even air parity. F-16s will allow us to control our skies, protect our troops, reduce their losses, and increase the chances of our pilots surviving dogfights. Providing Ukraine with more Soviet-era MiGs will not accomplish this goal. Their radars are inferior to Russian radars, and their munitions are obsolete, putting our pilots’ lives in grave danger.
Third, we require modern jets to ensure the security of the Black Sea grain corridor. This will enable us to fully resume Ukraine’s food exports without having to rely on Russia’s perpetual lack of goodwill. A squadron of well-equipped F-16s will allow us to keep Russian warships and combat aircraft away from the grain corridor’s maritime route. This will ensure an uninterrupted flow of vessels carrying Ukrainian grain and other foodstuffs, particularly to the most vulnerable countries in the global south.
Fourth, Ukraine’s experience flying F-16s in direct combat with Russia will benefit the U.S. Air Force. From the 1950s until the 1980s, the United States’ air muscles have been strengthened by many bitter lessons learned in real combat with Russian systems. The Russians have also learned a lot through their many wars. Ukraine is now dealing with a systemic and powerful adversary equipped with advanced electronic warfare capabilities. We will share our experience with using F-16s against Russia, which will significantly upgrade the U.S. Air Force without putting any American lives in danger. Ukrainian aces will turn Top Gun fiction into reality.
Fifth, F-16s in the hands of Ukrainian pilots will serve as a strong deterrent to any future Russian attempts to redraw borders in Europe, ensuring the continent’s long-term stability. We require those jets solely for defense and deterrence. We have never had territorial claims against Russia, only over the land within our own borders recognized by international law. Fears of Ukraine misusing F-16s are therefore misplaced. On the contrary, F-16s will aid Ukraine in not only restoring peace on its own soil, but also in taming Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive ambitions and de-escalating the conflict.
Since February 2022, discussions on each new type of weapon have started with a “no” and ended with a “yes.” It took considerable time to soothe worries, including the argument about not “provoking” Moscow. In the end, none of the military supplies had this effect. F-16s are no different. Instead of focusing on fears that will never materialize, we urge the United States and its allies to consider the benefits of providing Ukraine with F-16s.
The time required to train Ukrainian pilots cannot be used as a counterargument. Our young, battle-hardened aces are prepared to begin training at any time and complete it in a short period of time. There are no reasons why the training of Ukrainian pilots cannot begin now. There is also no issue with the jets’ availability. We have reasons to believe that some European partners are willing to provide the first platforms and take care of maintenance if Washington gives the go-ahead. With major rearmament underway, a number of countries will soon transition to newer F-35s, releasing hundreds of F-16s onto the market. Despite the claims of some analysts, Ukrainian infrastructure—including runways—is already capable of supporting F-16 operations.
Ukraine will win, and it will be our shared victory. But providing F-16s will save many lives, bring victory closer more quickly, and save our partners a lot of political, military, and economic resources.
Strategic moves can ensure not only a just and lasting peace in Ukraine but also the long-term stability of Europe and North America. The decision to provide Ukraine with F-16s is exactly that. Its payoff will be decades of secure and prosperous development for Ukraine, the United States, and their European partners and allies.