Stoltenberg welcomes decision to train Ukrainian pilots, Russia denounces escalation – RT in French

Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the decision of NATO members to train Ukrainian pilots. According to him, it paves the way for the delivery of combat aircraft and sends a “very clear signal” to Moscow that the Alliance is in Ukraine “for the long term”.

From the Council of Europe building, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed on 23 May the recent announcements made by the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the military alliance concerning the training of Ukrainian pilots.

The Russian presidency, through its spokesman Dmitry Peskov, reiterated on May 23 that deliveries of new weapons to Kiev, including fighter jets, would not fundamentally change the situation on the ground.

“The more weapons supplied, the more dangerous the world will be”, warns Moscow

“The more weapons supplied, the more dangerous the world will be, and the more destructive these weapons will be, the more likely the scenario of what is commonly called a nuclear apocalypse becomes,” warned Dmitry Medvedev, vice-president of the Russian Security Council, during a trip to Laos.

On May 15, Emmanuel Macron paved the way, announcing during a television interview that France could train Ukrainian pilots “right now”. The following day, Downing Street announced that the British and Dutch Prime Ministers had agreed to form an “international coalition” to provide Ukraine with “combat air capabilities, supporting everything from training to procurement of F-16 aircraft.

Questioned by the press on May 17 about this “international coalition”, the British Minister of Defense had declared that it was up to “the White House” to decide on a possible delivery of combat aircraft to Kiev.

The green light was given two days later, on the occasion of the opening of the G7 in Hiroshima, when the American presidency announced that Joe Biden had given his “support for a joint initiative aimed at training Ukrainian pilots on fighter planes of fourth generation, including F-16s”. “As the training unfolds over the next few months, our coalition of countries participating in this effort will decide when to provide planes, how many, and who will provide them,” continued the senior White House official.