VILNIUS (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will move forward with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of a NATO leaders’ summit due to begin later today in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Sullivan said President Joe Biden “has made it clear he supports the transfer”.
“He didn’t put any warnings about it… He intends to go ahead with this transfer,” he said.
Sullivan gave no details at the time.
Late Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed to forward Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance to parliament, after months of pressure from the United States and its allies.
Some NATO partners believe Turkey, which in October 2021 asked to buy $20 billion worth of F-16 fighters from Lockheed Martin Corp and nearly 80 retrofit kits for its existing fighter jets, has used Swedish membership to pressure Washington on fighter jets.
Sullivan also said NATO allies would send a “united and positive signal” on Ukraine’s path to joining the alliance at the summit, one of the main talking points in Vilnius.
(Reporting by Steve Holland, Justyna Pawlak; editing by John Irish)