Biden endorses F-16 training for Ukrainians as Zelensky is preparing to attend the G7 summit

HIROSHIMA, Japan — President Joe Biden told allies Friday that he was approving plans to train Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, according to two people familiar with the matter, as leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies worked to toughen punishments on Russia for its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.

The Group of Seven leaders are meeting in Hiroshima, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky set to take part in their summit on Sunday.

The green light on F-16 training is the latest shift by the Biden administration as it moves to arm Ukraine with more advanced and lethal weaponry, following earlier decisions to send rocket launcher systems and Abrams tanks. The United States has insisted that it is sending weapons to Ukraine only to defend itself and has discouraged attacks by Ukraine into Russian territory.

The G7 leaders also used their summit to roll out a new wave of global sanctions on Moscow as well as plans to enhance the effectiveness of existing financial penalties meant to constrain President Vladimir Putin’s war effort.

“Our support for Ukraine will not waver,” the G7 leaders said in a statement released after closed-door meetings. They vowed “to stand together against Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.”

“Russia started this war and can end this war,” they said.

The G7 is the U.S., Japan, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, plus the European Union as a whole.

Zelensky has consistently called for the supply of Western fighter jets to bolster his country’s defenses against Russia’s invasion but has until now faced skepticism from the U.S. that they would turn the tide in the war.

Now, as Ukraine has improved its air defenses with a host of Western-supplied antiaircraft systems and prepares to launch a counteroffensive against Russia, officials believe the jets could become useful in the battle and essential to the country’s long-term security.

Biden’s backing of training Ukrainian pilots on advanced fighter jets serves as a precursor to sending the jets to Ukraine for the first time. But decisions on when, how many, and who will provide the fourth-generation fighter jets will be made in the months ahead while the training is underway, Biden told leaders.

The F-16 training is to be conducted in Europe and will likely begin in the coming weeks. That’s according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss Biden’s private conversations with allies.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said on national television that Zelensky would attend the summit.

“There will be very important matters decided there, so physical presence is a crucial thing to defend our interests,” Danilov said Friday.

The Council later walked back those remarks, saying in a statement that Zelensky would be joining the G7 summit in Hiroshima via video link. The president’s office would not confirm either way for security reasons, and his exact travel plans were not clear.

Zelensky on Friday made a surprise visit to the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia.

European allies in recent weeks have warmed to the notion of sending fighter jets to Ukraine, as have elements of Biden’s Cabinet, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has emerged as a staunch advocate within the administration. Under export licensing rules, the U.S. needed to sign off on any allied effort to train Ukrainian pilots or to provide them with the jets.

The latest sanctions aimed at Russia include tighter restrictions on already-sanctioned people and firms involved in the war effort. More than 125 individuals and organizations across 20 countries have been hit with U.S. sanctions.

The financial penalties have been primarily focused on sanctions evaders connected to technology procurement for the Kremlin. The Commerce Department also added 71 firms to its own list.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Friday sanctions “will further tighten the vise on Putin’s ability to wage his barbaric invasion and will advance our global efforts to cut off Russian attempts to evade sanctions.”

In addition, new reporting requirements were issued for people and firms that have any interest in Russian Central Bank assets. The purpose is to “fully map holdings of Russia’s sovereign assets that will remain immobilized in G7 jurisdictions until Russia pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine,” the U.S. Treasury Department said.