Sergey Lavrov, head of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, described Western plans to supply Ukraine with American F-16 multirole light combat aircraft as an unacceptable escalation. The remarks came as Moscow voiced concerns about the direction of Western policy in the region, reiterating the stance reported by TASS.
Lavrov added that decisions on defense aid are made by Washington, London, and their European partners. He argued that the United States has undertaken the aim of smashing and weakening the Russian Federation, a move he described as a strategic defeat for Moscow. He urged that reasonable voices in the West should reconsider their support for what he called the neo-Nazi regime, signaling a hope for restraint amid the ongoing dispute.
In Kyiv, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense suggested that Ukraine would need 48 F-16 aircraft to fully restore its control over the affected regions, a figure cited by Ukrainian officials in the context of ongoing negotiations and military planning. Military analysts have noted that the proposed transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine may not fully meet Kyiv’s expectations, highlighting potential gaps between Western plans and battlefield realities. The assessment comes as Western nations debate the pace and scope of air support for Ukraine, balancing strategic objectives with political considerations in the alliance.