U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged Ukraine’s significant progress in recapturing territory from Russia during its invasion, stating that the country has reclaimed about 50% of the initially seized land. However, he cautioned that Kyiv faces a challenging battle to regain more ground.
In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Blinken emphasised that the counteroffensive is still in its early stages and will likely take several months to unfold. Despite Ukraine’s successes in recapturing some villages in the south and territory around the devastated city of Bakhmut in the east, they have yet to achieve a major breakthrough against heavily fortified Russian lines.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had previously expressed that the progress of the counteroffensive against Russian forces was slower than hoped.
Regarding the much-desired U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine, Blinken expressed confidence that they would be provided. However, he stressed the importance of ensuring that Ukrainian pilots receive proper training to handle and maintain the planes effectively.
To facilitate this training, a coalition of 11 nations is set to begin training Ukrainian pilots to operate the F-16 fighter jets in Denmark starting in August. Additionally, a training centre will be established in Romania.
Ukraine has been appealing for the Lockheed Martin-made F-16s for some time, and while there was no final decision on the matter last month, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan indicated that the plan was under consideration. U.S. officials have estimated that training and delivery of the planes would likely take at least 18 months.
In response to the Russian invasion in February 2022, the United States has been providing significant military aid to Ukraine, totalling more than $41 billion.
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