The announcement was made in 2023 and they will now be ready for use: Ukraine will receive the first F-16 jets. Their main purpose is to prevent Russia from dropping bombs.
This summer, the F-16 fighter jets promised by foreign partners are to be deployed in Ukraine to defend against the Russian war of aggression. The transfer of the jets is already underway, the USA, the Netherlands and Denmark announced in a joint statement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington.
F-16 jets from Denmark and the Netherlands
The deal involves American-made F-16 jets provided by Denmark and the Netherlands. “The handover process for these F-16s is now underway and Ukraine will be flying operational F-16s this summer,” the statement said. “For security reasons, we cannot provide further details at this time.”
The three states also thanked Belgium and Norway for their commitment to provide additional aircraft to Kyiv.
Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for almost two and a half years and is dependent on foreign arms deliveries. For a long time, Kyiv has also been urgently requesting Western-made fighter jets, especially the F-16.
Pilot training has been going on for months
At the G7 summit in Japan in May 2023, the US cleared the way for other countries to supply jets of this type to Ukraine. Denmark and the Netherlands agreed to do so. The training of Ukrainian pilots and ground crews for this type of aircraft has been going on for months. But so far none of the jets have arrived in Ukraine. Their main purpose is to prevent Russian aircraft from dropping bombs unhindered.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously asked the allies on the sidelines of the summit for large numbers of Western fighter jets. Zelensky said in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Foundation in Washington that Ukraine needed at least 128 fighter jets. Russia could use 300 planes a day to attack Ukraine.
There is always a reason for being late
According to Ukrainian media reports, Zelensky found an original comparison for waiting for partners’ decisions: “You know, we are always waiting. Just like my mother used to wait for me after school, and I always found a reason to come late. It’s the same thing, only much more serious.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
