Providing the F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine will deter Russia rather than provoke it to escalate.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter.

“Types of weapons that, we were told, would ‘provoke Russia to escalate’ if supplied to Ukraine but never did: artillery, MLRS, air defense, tanks, long-range missiles. F-16s will not either. Giving Ukraine F-16s will deter Russia rather than ‘provoke’ it. Time to take this step,” Kuleba emphasized.