British Foreign Secretary urges US to supply Ukraine with F-16s

James Cleverly says Kyiv needs its defences strengthened by modern jets

An F-16 Fighting Falcon of the Romanian Air Force. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has called for the US to send the jets to Ukraine to help push out Russian forces. EPA

Britain’s Foreign Secretary urged the US to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighters during a visit to Washington on Tuesday, telling American leaders to “give them the tools to get the job done”.

In a frank statement, James Cleverly told an audience at the Atlantic Council think tank that the current state of the war meant that “if we're saving stuff up for the rainy day, then this is the rainy day”.

With artillery shells a key part in Ukraine’s coming counter-offensive and Russia developing new 1,000kg glide bombs that can be launched from its fighters, the need for an effective air defence system is more pressing.

But the US has to date denied the export of F-16s to Ukraine despite more than 4,000 of the highly effective fighter-bombers being available to western and Nato powers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested the F-16 aircraft, which Kyiv believes will significantly bolster both its attack and defence capabilities of its relatively small but effective air force.

Mr Cleverly argued that for the future of global security, in which one country cannot be allowed to seize territory from a sovereign state, Ukraine “has to be victorious” in the war against Russia.

“The most humane way of doing that is for them to be victorious quickly,” he said in a response to a question on supply of F-16s and long-range missiles.

“And the best of that is giving them the tools they need to get the job done and give them those tools in the here and now.”

He also indicated that Ukraine should be given longer-range missiles to strike deeper into Russian-held territory. Kyiv has previously requested the US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, which have a range of 300km.

There are concerns that the Russian air force, which has reverted to launching missiles from within its home territory after suffering losses early in the war, could once again reach the front foot if Ukraine’s air defence missiles are depleted.

Having F-16s would substantially curtail Moscow's ability to gain air supremacy over the front line and deeper into Ukraine.

“We do recognise that air defence and the ability for the Ukrainians to interdict and defend themselves from air attack is important,” said Mr Cleverly.

While Britain does not have any F-16s in its inventory, he added, it is training the next generation of Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly jets.

With fears that a potential future US Republican administration might lose interest in supporting a European war, the politician advocated the need to remain resilient.

“How we respond to Russia's attempted full scale invasion of Ukraine will be viewed by state and non-state actors,” he said.

“They will check to see our resolve and they will want to see whether the US and the UK have got the staying power, whether we've got the grit, the determination or whether we're going to lose interest or lose stamina 18 or 24 months into this endeavour.

“My argument is that, if we signal to the world that we have only got about 18 months staying power, that will mean a more dangerous environment for the future.”

He added that the coming Ukraine counter-offensive would lead to “escalatory words coming out of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin's lips” — potentially referencing the use of nuclear weapons — but that the West needed to retain its resolve.