It costs $2 billion, but US warplanes cannot so easily ensure victory for Ukraine

The top general of the US military has warned that the F-16 will not be a "magic weapon" for Ukraine, although America will not hesitate at all about sending them. "The Russians have 1,000 fourth-generation fighters," Gen. Mark Milley told reporters at the Pentagon after a virtual meeting of Ukraine's multinational Defense Contact Group. Milley's comments followed similar statements made this week by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who said the jets "won't be a dramatic game changer" for Ukraine, though "it will help them" in the long run. .Fighter aircraft are much more expensive than artillery rockets and ground vehicles, which Western allies have concentrated in Ukraine to help repel Russian forces in the south of the country. "Spending money on those short-term weapons, as opposed to expensive fighter jets with their complex logistical needs, has been worthwhile," Milley said. "If you look at F-16s, 10 F-16s, that's $2 billion for 10 planes," he said. Also Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that Denmark and the Netherlands are taking the lead in a joint coalition to train Ukrainian pilots in modern fighter jets. He said Norway, Belgium, Poland and Portugal have also pledged to participate in the training. The coalition plans to initially train about 20 Ukrainian pilots, although the exact number will depend on the countries' capacity to support the project,