Washington was reportedly dismayed by Britain’s push to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s without US approval
The US has refused to back UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace’s bid to become the next NATO Secretary General over his ambitious plans for military support of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, the Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday, citing sources.
In recent weeks, Wallace, a staunch anti-Russia hawk who was spearheading the push to arm Kiev with heavy tanks and long-range missiles, was widely regarded as the frontrunner to succeed incumbent NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
However, according to the Telegraph, Washington was “dismayed” when Britain, along with the Netherlands, agreed last month to form an ‘international coalition’ to help Kiev procure US-made F-16s and train Ukrainian pilots to fly the 4th generation jets, without asking for Washington’s approval first.
A Telegraph source claimed that the move “ended any remaining…