Russian Foreign Minister: West is playing with fire when planning to transfer F-16s to Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov warned the West was "playing with fire" by agreeing to supply F-16s to Ukraine, calling it an "unacceptable escalation".

"There is no doubt that this is playing with fire," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an excerpt of an interview with Russian television posted on social media on May 28, criticizing "the US, UK and EU countries for plotting to weaken Russia."

According to Mr. Lavrov, the West's plan to transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine is "an unacceptable escalation of tensions".

“I hope there are wise people in the West who understand that,” Lavrov stressed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a press conference in Moscow in March. Photo: Reuters — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a press conference in Moscow in March. Photo: *Reuters*

Ukraine has been asking the West for modern fighter jets like the US-made F-16 for months. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry believes the country needs 48 F-16s to repel Russian forces on the battlefield.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on May 25 that Denmark and the Netherlands had “decided to take the lead” in developing a plan to train Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16 fighter jets, with other countries also pledging support. According to US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, the countries could transfer 10 F-16 fighters to Ukraine and the effort would cost about $2 billion.

The F-16 multi-role fighter jet, developed by General Dynamics since the 1970s, is used by the US and a number of its allies. Each F-16 costs around $30-35 million depending on the variant, but customers can pay more or less depending on the number of orders, economic and political conditions, and other factors.

President Joe Biden pledged to support allies and partners in training pilots and transferring F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, a White House official said on May 20. The coalition of countries participating in the effort "will decide when to deliver the fighter jets, how many, and who will provide them."

The decision is considered particularly important, as allies need Washington's approval to re-export US-made weapons and military equipment to third countries.