President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the readiness of some partner countries to start training Ukrainian pilots is the first important step for Ukraine to receive Western fighter jets. The Head of State said this at a press conference for Ukrainian and foreign media entitled "February. The Year of Invincibility."
"Protection of the sky is air defense but not only air defense. Also, today we are talking about jets – it is also part of air defense. And our partners understand that we want to use it to protect our skies, infrastructure, and civilians. Therefore, we have taken major steps forward. My meeting with the Prime Minister of the UK gives an answer to the question of whether Ukraine has a chance to get effective jets. We launch training with the UK. And today, I had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Poland – we are starting F-16 training," he said.
According to the President, negotiations regarding training Ukrainian pilots are underway with several other European countries.
The Head of State recalled several stages in decision-making on the receipt of Western weapons by Ukraine. At first, it was artillery systems, then armored vehicles and tanks.
Zelenskyy said that partners see the successes of our army on the battlefield, believe in us and help us.
"The only weak point is deadlines. Deadlines mean the loss of people. Therefore, it is necessary to speed up the supply of weapons," the President said.
