Joe Biden announced on Monday that he will not send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of its war against Russia, AFP reports.

Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Joe BidenPhoto: Yuriy Hrypas/ABACA / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

“No,” the US president answered when asked by a White House reporter whether he would provide Kyiv with fighter jets, which Ukrainian leaders allegedly requested.

Visit to Poland

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that he will visit Poland in the near future, but did not specify the date.

Biden told reporters he did not know when he would visit a key player in the Western campaign to help Ukraine repel a nearly year-long Russian invasion.

“In principle, nothing is forbidden,” says Macron

Norway plans to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “as soon as possible”, Norway’s defense minister told AFP on Monday, suggesting the deliveries could take place by the end of March.

Last week, the Scandinavian country announced its intention to supply Kyiv with a number of Leopard 2 tanks, 36 of which are in service with its army.

“We have not determined the number yet,” Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram told AFP on Monday. “It is important that this be closely coordinated with partners, so that it is a donation that is significant for Ukraine,” the minister emphasized.

“Of course, we want it to happen as soon as possible. This is an urgent need,” he added during a visit to the US-Norwegian-developed NASAMS anti-aircraft missile assembly plant in Kongsberg in southeastern Norway.

Referring to the joint efforts of the Allies, Graham recalled that Germany mentioned deliveries of Leopard 2 “at the end of March”. Last week, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he plans to deliver 14 tanks “at the end of March, beginning of April.”

The Norwegian minister drew attention to the time needed to get the green light for supplies, training Ukrainian units to use tanks, as well as logistics issues.

“It’s a pretty big operation, but we want to get it done as quickly as possible,” he insisted.

Several other Western countries have expressed their intention to quickly deliver heavy tanks to Ukraine, for example Great Britain, which plans to deliver the Challenger at the end of March.

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