US open to stateside training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16

PHOTO CAPTION: A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard takes off in full afterburner from the Atlantic City Air National Guard base in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., on Dec. 9, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Andrew J. Moseley via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Friday said it was open to training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in the United States if capacity for such training is reached in Europe.

White House spokesperson John Kirby, speaking to reporters, said Washington is eager to move forward with the training.



(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Ljunggren; Editing by Mark Porter)