American senators are criticizing the administration of President Joe Biden for refusing to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine so that Ukrainian troops can free the entire territory of Ukraine from Russian aggression as soon as possible, the Voice of America writes.
On Tuesday, during a discussion at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton expressed his belief that the United States should provide Ukraine with weapons to win, and do it faster, not gradually, as is happening now.
He said that instead of saying that the US will be with Ukraine "as long as it takes," it should say that it will be "as fast as the Ukrainians can win."
Experts who answered questions from senators during a meeting of the Armed Services Committee at a hearing on Tuesday were divided in their assessments.
Retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Kate Kellogg, when asked by Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal whether Ukraine should be given F-16s, said he would send "everything he has" to Ukraine, including F-16s, if it will allow to win the war faster.
“I would give them everything we can to win this fight because it prevents the deployment of American troops later if they can't defeat the Russian army. Even if it requires F-16s because they have better avionics than the MiG-29,” the retired general said.
But RAND Corporation expert Dara Masikot believes that Ukraine has needs that need to be met now, and those that will arise over time, and the F-16 belongs to the last category.
“There are urgent needs, as we have talked about, for artillery shells and additional small arms to prevent Russian frontal attacks. I think some of the more advanced systems we talked about today, like the F-16 or the ATACM, will take time to learn. But I agree with the other panelists, if you never start the process, you never start it,” Maskiot said.
The weapons in Ukraine should show Putin that if he doesn't withdraw his army, he will lose it in Ukraine, says retired general Kate Kellogg. Patriot missiles are among the weapons that the West began to supply to Ukraine.
On Monday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the Biden administration's decision not to provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine for now was "more than disappointing."
"President Biden's recent announcement that he is ruling out F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine in the short term, based on advice from the Department of Defense, is disappointing," Graham said in a statement.
He compared the process of providing weapons to Ukraine by the Biden administration to the process of "pulling teeth."
"With this administration delivering to the battlefield every weapon system that Ukraine requests, it's been like pulling teeth," Graham said in a statement.
In an interview with ABC News on Friday, President Joe Biden said he is ruling out the F-16 for now, saying Ukraine "doesn't need F-16s right now."
Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has repeatedly defended the president's decision in recent days, noting that fighter jets are "not a key capability" that Kiev needs for a future counteroffensive.
"The F-16 is a matter for later. And that's why President Biden said he's not promoting it at this time," Sullivan told CNN on Sunday.
According to Sullivan, "US efforts should be aimed at getting Ukraine the tools it needs for its current mission."
According to the Hill newspaper, which covers political issues, including the US Congress and its relationship with the president and the executive branch, President Biden is facing increasing pressure from both Ukrainian officials and US lawmakers to speed up the administration's request for fighters
As the paper notes, while attending the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, Senator Graham said there was "virtually unanimous belief" among the 30 senators at the conference that "we should be training Ukrainian F-16 pilots today so they can get jets as soon as possible.'
