In a major support to Ukraine's air defence, the United States (US) has decided to supply the war-hit country with advanced F-16 fighter jets on Friday. The US has signalled its Western allies too to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion. Fighter jet training to Ukrainian pilots will also be provided by the US.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden informed his G7 counterparts of the decision at the summit in Japan.
US troops will also train Kyiv's pilots to use the jets, said Sullivan.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the US's decision and hailed it as a "historic decision".
"It would greatly enhance our army in the sky," said Zelenskyy.
"I count on discussing the practical implementation of this decision at the #G7 summit in Hiroshima," said Zelenskyy in a tweet.
Ukraine has repeatedly sought the supply of advanced fighter jets to Western allies inorder to help them in its fight against Russia's invasion.
The US legally has to approve the re-export of equipment purchased by allies and the move will clear the way for other nations to send their existing stock of F-16s to Ukraine, reported BBC.
"Over the past few months, we and our allies and partners have really focussed on providing Ukraine with the systems of weapon and training it needs to conduct offensive operations this spring and summer," Sullivan told reporters in Hiroshima.
"We have delivered what we promised."
"Now we have turned to discussion about improving the Ukrainian air force as part of our long-term commitment to Ukraine's self-defence. As the training unfolds in the coming months, we will work with our allies to determine when planes will be delivered, who will be delivering them and how many," Sullivan added.
Zelenskyy is set to arrive in Hiroshima on Saturday evening.
The US has been providing military support on land rather than air defence to Ukraine so far.
Earlier, Biden had said that he was "ruling out for now" sending advanced fighter jets to Ukraine.
"Now we have delivered everything we said we were going to deliver, so we put the Ukrainians in a position to make progress on the battlefield through the counter offensive. We've reached a moment where it is time to look down the road and say what is Ukraine going to need as party of a future to defend against Russian aggression," Sullivan said.
However, training even the experienced pilots on a new plane is to take more than two months.
The F-16 jets are widely used by a number of European and Middle East nations.
The US move was welcomed by the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.
"The UK will work together with the USA and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat air capability it needs," tweeted UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Sunak said that UK would set up flight school to train Ukrainian pilots as well.
However, questions on the maintenance of the jets and concerns on sending a wrong message of escalating the war were also raised by some Nato members.