Democrat presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has blasted President Biden for issuing formal approval for European nations to export US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, calling it a “disaster” in the making for Ukraine and the world.
RFK Jr. said somewhat sarcastically on X (formerly Twitter) that it’s a “great decision for the defense industry, but a disaster for Ukraine and humanity.” He emphasized that “F-16s won’t stop the collapse of the Ukrainian military (which some experts say is imminent). These planes require a lot of training and maintenance. This isn’t the movies.”
He has elsewhere called on the Biden administration to admit the “failure” of its Ukraine policy and to instead focus on the domestic crises impacting the nation. This comes also as the Maui death toll could continue to soar as emergency crews are still digging through rubble left in the wake of the devastating fires.
As for the F-16s, they are unlikely to go operational in Ukraine until next year, possibly as late as next summer, given Ukrainian pilots must complete a lengthy training program. Both Denmark and the Netherlands have said they will supply the initial round of a half-dozen jets, due to be delivered around New Year.
Russia responded Monday to Biden’s formal approval late last week for F-16s to Kiev, which includes the start of a pilot training program based in Denmark. Moscow is warning this will only escalate the war.