The White House responds to Lavrov, who fears escalation over F-16s

The White House has commented on the statements of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who claimed that the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine would lead to further escalation.

This was stated by John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator of the US National Security Council, during a briefing, according to Yevropeiska Pravda.

"The first thing I would like to say to Minister Lavrov is that if you are concerned about Ukraine's military potential, you should take your troops and leave Ukraine," he said.

According to Kirby, the F-16s will be provided as part of Ukraine's long-term defense needs. It is about helping Ukraine meet its self-defense needs.

Earlier, Lavrov said that the West is allegedly preparing to continue escalating the war. In particular, he claimed that one of the F-16 modifications is capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Kirby responded by saying that it is not the US that is throwing around reckless nuclear rhetoric, but people like Foreign Minister Lavrov, President Putin, and Putin's spokesman Peskov.

Author - Olena Madiak, 07/06/2023