Ukraine's leader has sought the jets since February 2022 when the war began. The National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said President Joe Biden told G7 counterparts" of the decision at their summit in Japan on Friday night, May 19. It is expected that US troops will also train Ukrainian pilots to use the jets.
Ahead of Saturday's official announcement, President Zelensky said the jets would "greatly enhance our army in the sky". He said he looked forward to "discussing the practical implementation" of the plan at the G7 summit.