The US State Department on Friday said it had approved the sale of dozens of F-35 fighter jets to its NATO ally Romania, a deal worth $7.2 billion. The contract, which must still be approved by the U.S. Congress, covers Bucharest's purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft and related equipment produced by the U.S. aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin. The contract announcement comes as Ukrainian pilots began training this week at a special center in Romania on F-16s, U.S.-made fighter jets that Washington has approved Kyiv to use to repel Russia's invasion.
