- GLOBAL SECURITY - RADIO FREE EUROPE - MAY 19, 2023 -
U.S. President Joe Biden told leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized countries that Washington was prepared to work with its allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, according to White House sources, even as G7 nations announced fresh sanctions against Russia for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials confirmed on May 19 that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to personally attend the G7 meeting in Hiroshima following his surprise visit to the Arab Summit in Saudi Arabia.
Multiple Western news agencies cited top U.S. administration officials as saying that Biden told his G7 counterparts that training on the F-16 fighter jets -- which are far more effective than the Soviet-era jets Kyiv currently has -- would take place in Europe and likely start in the coming weeks.
The training will begin even before decisions are made on when, how many, and which nations will provide the jets for Ukraine, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"O EIXO DO MAL LATINO AMERICANO E A NOVA ORDEM MUNDIAL"
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he welcomed Washington's move on the training of Ukrainian pilots and tweeted that Britain will "work together with "the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat air capability it needs."
Denmark's Defense Ministry said it "will now be able to move forward for a collective contribution to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s."
Kyiv has urged the West to step up supplies of military aid, including deliveries of the more-sophisticated F-16 fighters, as it prepares for its widely anticipated counteroffensive.
On the sanctions front, the G7 leaders said in a joint statement that the fresh sanctions will impact "exports of industrial machinery, tools, and other technology that Russia uses to rebuild its war machine."
The statement said the group would continue to work to diminish Russian revenues from its trade in metals and diamonds.
A U.S. announcement said Washington was slapping new sanctions on Moscow to "increase costs" for Russia and those that help it conduct its war against Ukraine.
"The United States will continue to take actions against Russia until it ends its brutal and illegal war against Ukraine. The United States is implementing commitments made at the G7 Leaders' Summit to increase costs for Russia and those who support its war effort," a statement said.
"Among others, these commitments include further disrupting Russia's ability to source inputs for its war, closing evasion loopholes, further reducing reliance on Russian energy, squeezing Russia's access to the international financial system, and keeping its sovereign assets immobilized."
Earlier in the day, Britain announced new sanctions against 86 Russian citizens and legal entities aimed at advanced military technologies and imports of diamonds to cut Moscow's "sources of income."
G7 leaders said that their "support for Ukraine will not waver" as they vowed "to stand together against Russia's illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine."
In Ukraine, a senior security official said Zelenskiy would attend the G7 summit in person.
"Very important things will be decided there and it is therefore the presence of our president that is absolutely essential in order to defend our interests," Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, told state television.
Zelenskiy will attend the gathering on May 21, the third and final day of the summit, according to two unnamed Ukrainian officials involved in the arrangements for the G7 cited by Reuters.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy arrived on May 19 in the Saudi city of Jeddah to attend an Arab League summit.