Several countries have begun training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation aircraft about a week after a coalition of countries announced a plan to do so.

The U.K. and the Netherlands agreed on May 17 to build a coalition of countries to train Ukrainian pilots on and provide them with fourth-generation aircraft, such as F-16s, while the U.S. declared on May 20 that it would join the effort, as did Portugal and Denmark.

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"I am happy that finally the training for the pilots on the F-16s has started in several countries," EU High Representative Josep Borrell told reporters on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting of European Union defense ministers. He later identified Poland as one of the countries that has begun training Ukrainian pilots.

President Joe Biden had chosen not to provide Ukraine with F-16s for months despite Ukrainian requests for them, though he changed that decision last week, informing G-7 leaders on Friday of the reversal.

The training will take months to complete, and the Ukrainians will not have them to use for their expected counteroffensive. Instead, the F-16s are a longer-term request and fulfillment that should benefit them over time.

Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, told lawmakers in late February that it would take roughly 18 months, "even on the most expeditious timeline," to train Ukrainians on the aircraft and for the delivery of them.

When asked if Kahl's assessment remains accurate, a U.S. official told the Washington Examiner last week, "As Undersecretary Kahl has testified, the training could take a significant amount of time which is why this is not a long term capability to strengthen Ukraine’s armed forces over time. This is not a near term capability that would have been helpful for the counteroffensive given the time involved."

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Two Ukrainian pilots went to Arizona in early March to work with the U.S. military, helping them develop their capabilities. A military official told the Washington Examiner at the time that the "familiarization event" was first between U.S. and Ukrainian pilots and that the Ukrainians did not fly any U.S. platforms, only a simulator.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko warned that the West is looking to "continue to stick to an escalation scenario" in regard to the fighter jet program, according to state-run Russian news outlet TASS.