President Biden's sharp refusal to comply with Ukraine's request for F-16 aircraft was skeptical at the Pentagon. Some Defense Department officials are still speculating about final approval or a scenario in which U.S. allies will still provide the aircraft with the administration's permission..

The hypothesis among US Department of Defense officials came after Biden's one-word response on Monday, when a reporter asked him at the White House if he would send F-16s to Ukraine.. "

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One senior Defense Department official, who, like several others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss domestic matters, said: while the Pentagon's calculation is unlikely to change any time soon, it remains a possibility that a discussion is possible.. But with regard to M1, "

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We are talking about Biden's recent commitment to M1 Abrams tanks, despite the fact that the White House has been suggesting for months that working with these tanks in Ukraine could be a lot of difficulty.. Another defense official acknowledged that frustration is growing at the Pentagon among those who want to help Kyiv more but believe their views are clashing with others advocating a more cautious approach.. The official said that although Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and some of his senior staff reluctantly approved the transfer of Abrams tanks and the Patriot missile system, Biden eventually approved..

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Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder said the US and its allies have provided short-term assistance to " In April, the Pentagon said some allies had agreed to provide spare parts for planes that Ukraine already has.. "

[see_also ids\u003d" The country's air force then had several dozen Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighters, reinforced by a smaller number of Su-24, Su-25 and Su-27 aircraft.. The Ukrainian pilots flew them economically, encountering a complex system of Russian surface-to-air missiles, and some of them were shot down..