NATO Secretary-General admitted the incapability of F-16 to become a ‘silver bullet’ against Russia

The F-16 fighters will not be a silver bullet for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the conflict with Russia and will not change the situation on the battlefield, but will enhance Ukraine’s self-defense capabilities.

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with Bild.

“The fact that NATO allies will supply F-16s, as well as train pilots and provide weapons for the F-16, is another example of significant military support from NATO allies to Ukraine. But one system cannot change the situation on the battlefield. It is not a silver bullet that can change the entire war,” he said.

At the same time, the NATO Secretary-General added that these fighters will enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities and welcomed their upcoming delivery.

Earlier, Politico reported that senior Ukrainian military officers believe that by the time the F-16 fighters arrive in Ukraine, they will no longer be needed on the battlefield because Russia will be ready to effectively counter them.

The Netherlands and Denmark were the first to agree to provide F-16 fighters to Ukraine. The White House confirmed that Ukraine will receive combat aircraft from third countries after the completion of the training of its pilots. Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren stated that The Hague hopes to send the first F-16 fighters to Kiev in 2024. As previously noted by Russia’s Ambassador to The Hague, Alexander Shulgin, the Dutch are “turning a blind eye” to the fact that the supply of their F-16 fighters to Kiev will prolong the conflict in Ukraine and cause even greater suffering to its citizens.

Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the settlement, directly involve NATO countries in the conflict, and are “playing with fire.”