NATO has allowed Ukraine to attack Russia with F-16s – Stoltenberg

Once Ukraine receives F-16 fighter jets it will be free to use them against military targets inside Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said.

Stoltenberg’s comments were made in an interview to Radio Liberty, the US government-funded broadcaster, which is scheduled to air on Friday. According to snippets released in advance, the NATO head argued that Ukraine has the right to self-defense against Russian “aggression,” which would include “striking legitimate Russian military targets outside Ukraine.”

As to when the government in Kiev might actually receive the promised jets, Stoltenberg would not say. Each NATO member that pledged to deliver them has different policies and will decide on their own.

While Ukraine’s backers in NATO want the jets in action as soon as possible, they will have a stronger impact if the pilots are well-trained and there are enough maintenance and support crews on hand, according to Stoltenberg.

“So, I think we have to listen to the military experts exactly when we will be ready to or when allies will be ready to start sending and delivering the F-16s,” he said. “The sooner the better.”