The decision to support the training effort was the product of weeks of diplomacy and discussion. Sullivan began thinking about how to support the long-term modernization of Ukraine's air force last year after he visited Kyiv and Poland in November. At the time, the question wasn't "if," but "when."
The president — and other parts of the government — tend to defer to the Defense Department on such matters. The Pentagon, including top military officials, have long worried about the potential of escalation on the Russian side should the West take such a step as giving Ukraine F-16 capabilities.
But Blinken had observed over the past year that Russia rarely escalates beyond rhetoric, even as the West has introduced more military offerings into Ukraine. The chief diplomat also is thinking about Ukraine's long-term needs given that, even if Russia were to abandon the war now, it will nonetheless be a threat to Kyiv for the foreseeable future.
