Putin: Russia Might Strike Third-Country Airfields to Hit Ukraine’s F-16s
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 16 that his military might strike third countries if F-16 fighter jets being delivered to Ukraine’s air force are based on their territory.
If they are located at air bases abroad of Ukraine, and will be used in hostilities, we will have to see how to hit and where to hit those means used in hostilities against us.
—Vladimir Putin
Ukrainian officials had been asking Western nations for F-16 fighter jets since the earliest days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country. United States authorities, who can block other F-16 user nations from transferring the made-in-America fighters, long refused the request. But last month, U.S. officials reversed course, announcing they would green-light plans by allies and partners to transfer the fourth-generation aircraft to Ukraine and to train Ukrainian pilots to operate them.
Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom are among the nations expected to contribute jets, train pilots, or both.
Trumpet forecast: Emphasis is normally placed on rising tensions between Russia and the United States over the Ukraine War. But the more important power to watch for a reaction to Russia’s increasing belligerence is Europe. In 2014, after Russia had annexed Crimea from Ukraine, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote:
We have been prophesying for around 70 years that Eastern Europe would become a vital part of a new European superpower—a resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. … The fear you see in Europe because of events in Crimea is going to cause 10 leaders in Europe to unite in a sudden and dramatic way—and in precise accordance with the Bible’s description of that European empire! … Europe’s new fear of Russia is going to play a major role in hastening the fulfillment of that prophecy!
With Russia’s aggression unleashed and Putin’s threats multiplying, it is vital to watch Europe’s response. Many Europeans have been shaken to the core by the war underway on their doorstep, and their fear is beginning to transform Europe.
Learn more: Read “The Crimean Crisis Is Reshaping Europe!”
