Aug. 20 (UPI) — Denmark and the Netherlands confirmed Sunday that they will send F-16s to Ukraine once its pilots are trained and ready.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the jets would be delivered as soon as possible during a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands, with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also made a separate visit Sunday to Skrydstrup Airbase, in Vojens, Denmark.
“Today, we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer those F-16s to Ukraine as soon as the necessary conditions have been met,” Rutte said in a statement.
The commitment is the first concerning the delivery of the warplanes to Ukraine in its months-long campaign to secure the weaponry, that followed its success last year in procuring commitments for tanks, including the M1 Abrams from the United States and Leopard 2s from Germany.
In January, U.S. President Joe Biden had said Washington would not be sending the aircraft to Ukraine, while the Pentagon said the notion was not off the table.
This weekend, Netherlands Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra said that Washington had paved the way for his country and Denmark to send Ukraine the aircraft, which Kyiv has sought to control its airspace and protect civilian infrastructure from Russian strikes.
In Zelensky’s conversation with Rutte, the pair discussed further upgrading Ukraine’s air defense with anti-aircraft missile systems. The F-16s will be used to strengthen Ukraine’s growing counteroffensive against Russian invaders.
“We highly appreciate the leadership of the Netherlands in the comprehensive and powerful support for Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a statement.
In May the Netherlands announced that it would train Ukrainian military personnel for the deployment of F-16 aircraft. Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer those F-16s to Ukraine as soon as the necessary conditions have been met. We are… pic.twitter.com/2XeBlCFJR9— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) August 20, 2023
The Dutch government announced in May that it would train Ukrainian military personnel for the deployment of F-16 warplanes. The next month, it allocated an estimated $130 million assistance package to Ukraine. Some of the funding was directed toward repairs to the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam, which was attacked by Russian forces.
Rutte said the deployment of the fighter jets is being done in close cooperation with the United States, and represents the next steps in the Netherlands support in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Specific conditions to be met before the planes will be transferred include selecting, testing and training Ukrainian F-16 personnel as well as necessary authorization, infrastructure and logistics, the governments of the Netherlands and Denmark said in a statement.
The Danish Defense Ministry followed the Dutch, vowing to donate F-16s to Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia and retake its territories.
“It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine’s freedom struggle against Russia and their senseless aggression,” Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said in a statement. “Denmark’s support for Ukraine is unwavering, and with the donation of F-16 aircraft, Denmark is now leading the way.”
It is not yet certain how many F-16s Ukraine will receive from the Netherlands or Denmark, but Zelensky remarked during the press conference that they are discussing 42 aircraft from the Netherlands.
“I think it will be fair to talk about the number a little later,” Zelensky said.