PRESIDENT Joe Biden has ruled out sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, even as Kiev called for urgent air support for their conflict with Russia.

Mr Biden replied “no” when asked by reporters on Monday whether his country would provide the war planes. 

His comment comes a day after the leaders of Germany and Brazil turned down requests for immediate assistance.

Both the US and its Nato partners fear that providing the advanced F-16s would lead to further escalation with a nuclear-armed Russia.

Although Mr Biden has repeatedly rebuffed Ukraine’s pleas for the jets, the US last week did reverse its stance about not providing Abrams tanks to the Ukrainians.

Germany has also agreed to send tanks to Ukraine but Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday that it “seemed frivolous” to discuss sending other military aid to Ukraine when his government had just committed to sending Leopard II tanks.

Mr Scholz also told German newspaper Tagesspiegel that Nato was not at war with Russia and that it would “not allow such an escalation.”

Last week, his foreign minister Annalena Baerbock raised alarm bells by claiming the Germans and the rest of Nato were at war with Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly accused Nato of conducting a proxy war and warned of the dire consequences of any further involvement.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva said on Monday after meeting with Mr Scholz in Brasilia that the South American country will not send ammunition that could be used in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Lula tweeted: “Brazil has no interest in sending ammunition to be used in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Brazil is a country of peace.”

He said: “At this moment, we have to find those who want peace, a word that until now has been used very little.”

At the press conference following the meeting with the German Chancellor, Lula said that Brazil wanted to contribute with countries such as China, India and Indonesia to create a “club of countries that want to build peace on the planet.”

Lula said that he wanted to “discuss peace between Russia and Ukraine” when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in March.

While calling Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine a “mistake,” the Brazilian president said that Ukraine’s possible entry into the European Union and Nato were possible reasons. 

Argentina and Colombia have also refused to send armaments to Ukraine.