F-16 and longer-range missiles can help Ukraine defeat Russian Federation, - head of NATO forces in Europe, Kavoli
The commander of NATO’s Joint Forces in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, told US lawmakers that providing Ukraine with advanced Western equipment such as F-16 fighter jets, drones and long-range missiles could help Kiev gain the upper hand in the skies and increase its offensive against Russia.
Politico writes about this, Censor.NET informs with reference to zn.ua.
According to the publication, a closed briefing was held on February 18 with the participation of more than ten senators and members of the US House of Representatives. At it, American politicians asked General Cavoli whether F-16 fighter jets would help Ukraine win the war. He answered "yes", the publication's sources said.
The F-16 issue was part of a broader debate about the conduct of the war and what Kyiv needs to succeed in its plans to go on the offensive and halt Russian offensive actions. Kavoli said Ukraine needed longer-range missiles so its forces could strike Russian positions from longer distances, putting Russian headquarters and rear supply lines at risk, which would help disable the Russian military machine inside Ukraine.
The general's response goes further than previous public comments by senior national security officials, who said they would not rule out sending fighter jets in the future, but added that air defense was the most pressing need right now.
Cavoli told lawmakers at the Munich Security Conference that the US and its allies should provide Ukraine with state-of-the-art weaponry. This includes modern aircraft, drones, and missiles with a range of more than 100 kilometers, such as ATACMS. According to Kavoli, these weapons will help Kyiv gain better positions for repelling the Russian troops.
The general claims that Ukraine needs more modern weapons and equipment to "strengthen deep combat". Kavoli believes that the West should provide Ukraine with weapons so that the Armed Forces can "advance further" to Russian positions on the Ukrainian border.
These remarks appeared against the background of intensifying transatlantic debate about whether to provide Kyiv with modern aircraft.
