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Madrid unable to help Kiev with F-16s, pilot training — official

Margarita Robles reiterated that earlier, Kiev received six Leopard tanks from Spain

BRUSSELS, May 23. /TASS/. The Spanish government cannot help Kiev by providing it with F-16 fighter jets or by training Ukrainian pilots to fly them, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Tuesday.

"Spain has F-18 [fighter jets] and Eurofighter, each combat plane has its own training dynamics," she specified. "We cannot contribute to this training on F-16s," the top military official said. "We will see how the issue of fighter planes will unfold," Robles explained. Madrid has no capabilities to supply the F-16s or to train pilots to use them, she said arriving at a meeting with her European colleagues in Brussels.

The defense minister reiterated that earlier, Kiev received six Leopard tanks from Spain. She specified that another four tanks would be sent to Ukraine soon because currently they are undergoing repairs.

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Ukraine crisis Spain

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