US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin said at a press conference on February 14, following the results of the ninth "Ramstein", that he has no announcements on the topic of transferring Western fighter jets to Ukraine.
The event was broadcast on "Voice of America" YouTube.
Media representatives asked Austin whether the issue of handing over combat aircraft to Ukraine was discussed at the meeting.
"Regarding aircraft, I have no announcements today. But we will continue to work with Ukraine to meet the most urgent needs... They are planning a counteroffensive in the spring. There are several weeks left, so there is still a lot to do... The main thing now is to create a comprehensive system, train military behavior on these platforms, equipment, and deliver them to the battlefield. That's what is in the center of our attention today," the head of the Pentagon replied.
On January 30, US President Joe Biden announced that the US would not supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.
The mass media asked Austin whether the position of the USA had changed, in particular regarding the possible transfer of combat aircraft to Ukraine by Poland.
"We have never stopped Poland from providing anything. The decision to provide equipment is the prerogative of the national leadership of the country. We cannot dictate anything like that. As for whether we will provide F-16s, as I said, I have no announcements in in this area. I have nothing to add to what the president said earlier," the US Defense Minister emphasized.
The "Ramstein" format was launched in the spring of 2022 - on April 26, the first meeting of the advisory group on providing assistance to Ukraine took place at the US Air Force Base Ramstein in Germany. Oleksiy Reznikov, the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said after this meeting that there had been "tectonic changes" in the philosophy of the partners regarding the transfer of arms to Ukraine. It was decided to hold meetings of the advisory group every month.
The ninth meeting of the contact group on the defense of Ukraine was held on February 14 at the NATO headquarters in Brussels (Belgium). Its main topics are the protection of Ukrainian skies with the help of aviation and the development of the "tank coalition", Reznikov reported.
According to Austin, since the beginning of the full-scale war, the allies have provided almost $50 billion in aid to Ukraine.