Berlin, June 9 (UNI) Germany can become a hub of the international coalition for providing Ukraine with US-made F-16 fighter jets and even provide training to Ukrainian pilots but it will not provide the aircraft, Bundestag Defense Committee chair woman Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said on Friday.



"We have never had the F-16 in our portfolio, but we can provide airports in Germany as a hub or offer basic training for pilots who have only flown the MiG [jets] to date. The actual training on F-16ы must be provided by the countries which themselves use these aircraft," Strack-Zimmermann told German newspaper Bild.



The senior German lawmaker also said that Ukraine could not become a NATO member so long as it was involved in active armed conflict.



Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a European Political Community press conference in Chisinau that there were numerous countries standing prepared to provide Ukraine with F-16s, the fighter jet of its choice.



Following the United States' go-ahead to its European allies to provide Ukraine with F-16s last month, an international coalition started to form to help Kiev obtain and use the aircraft, including by providing training to Ukrainian pilots. Top German officials have on several occasions said that the country would not be providing the fighter jets but can contribute to the coalition in other ways.



Russia has slammed the possible deliveries of F-16s to Ukraine and warned that the jets will become a legitimate target for Russian forces. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine would become another escalation as the jets have one modification that is nuclear-capable.

UNI/SPUTNIK/VA GNK