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Planned deliveries of F-16s to Ukraine prove US leads 'war gang' — Foreign Ministry

Earlier, the White House press service issued a joint statement by the leaders of Denmark, the Netherlands and the US, saying that the Western countries planned to provide Ukraine with squadrons of F-16 fighter jets

MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. NATO countries' plans to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets show that the United States is leading a "war gang," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS.

"This is evidence that Washington is leading a war gang," the diplomat said in response to a related question.

Earlier, the White House press service issued a joint statement by the leaders of Denmark, the Netherlands and the US, saying that the Western countries planned to provide Ukraine with squadrons of F-16 fighter jets. Ukrainian pilots will be able to use the F-16s this summer, the process of transferring the planes has already begun, the statement said. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington that the kingdom would provide Ukraine with six F-16 fighter jets, with deliveries starting as early as 2024.

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the deliveries of new weapons, including F-16s, to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield, but would lead to a prolongation of the conflict. He also noted that if the Ukrainian armed forces receive these fighter jets, they will be burned in the same way as other military equipment touted by the West.

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