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During a meeting at the White House on Monday, President Biden and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen discussed the provision of military support to Ukraine amidst reports that Kyiv may be preparing a counteroffensive against Russian forces. The topic of discussion centered on Ukraine’s request for American-made F-16 warplanes, which the White House had previously resisted out of fear that they could be used to attack Russian territory. However, Mr. Biden agreed to allow pilot training for the planes and for allied nations like Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway to provide them.
On Thursday, Mr. Biden will meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has also voiced support for arming Ukraine.
Why It Matters: Fighting has intensified as Ukraine heads to Russia’s front lines.
Over the past 16 months, Mr. Biden has maintained the United States’ key Western allies’ support of Ukraine, despite declining domestic support for the war and conflicting opinions among world leaders regarding the best way to arm Ukraine.
With Ukrainian soldiers ramping up their artillery strikes and ground assaults against Russia’s front lines, allies must once again stand united. White House spokesman John F. Kirby claimed that the administration had done everything possible to provide support to Kyiv to prepare for the counteroffensive, but it remains unclear when the F-16s will be delivered and their specific role in the operation.
