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No decision yet on F-16 deliveries to Ukraine, says NATO chief

"Exactly when decisions will be taken - it's too early to say but the fact that training has started provides us with the option to also decide to deliver planes and then the pilots will be ready to fly them," Jens Stoltenberg said

BRUSSELS, June 15. /TASS/. No decision has yet been made on the delivery of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.

"I welcome the decision by several NATO Allies to provide a training of fighter pilots. This is important and it will enable us to, at a later stage, also make decisions to deliver fourth generation fighter aircraft like, for instance, the F-16s," he said upon arrival at the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

Stoltenberg also commended "Denmark for playing a leading role to facilitate this agreement and also to offer to provide training for the Ukrainian pilots."

"Exactly when decisions will be taken - it's too early to say but the fact that training has started provides us with the option to also decide to deliver planes and then the pilots will be ready to fly them," the NATO chief added.

The Netherlands issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that a training center for Ukrainian pilots would be established in Eastern Europe and pointing to NATO countries’ activities to develop training programs.

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Ukraine crisis NATO

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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