Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the "historic" agreement where Denmark and the Netherlands have chosen to supply Kyiv with F-16 jets to aid in its war against Russia.
The development comes as Zelensky has long been asking its Western allies to provide such airplanes as Moscow's air superiority is blocking its slow-moving counteroffensive. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke alongside Zelensky during a joint press conference at Eindhoven airport.
Denmark, the Netherlands To Supply F-16s to Ukraine
He said his country would commit to supplying F-16 jets to Ukraine after the conditions for such a delivery have been met. The Ukrainian president argued that the deal is the most important agreement yet. He added that the Netherlands had become the first nation to agree to provide his country with F-16s after training.
Despite the positive news, it will still take several months until Ukraine can utilize the F-16 jets. In a statement published on Sunday, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed to provide the airplanes in exchange for conditions, including training Ukrainian personnel, setting up infrastructure and logistics, and receiving the necessary authorization, as per CNN.
Rutte said that the Netherlands currently owns 42 F-16 jets, some needed to help train in Denmark and later in Romania. He also noted that his country is looking into whether or not all of the remaining aircraft could be supplied but argued that he is not yet able to give a definitive answer as to how many will be given to Ukraine.
Previously, Zelensky traveled to Denmark after a visit to the Netherlands, where he met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. At the time, the latter said that his country would provide 19 units of F-16 jets. Frederiksen said that they believe such aircraft will be able to help Ukraine protect its skies.
Long-Awaited Deliveries
Frederiksen said that the goal of the delivery of the F-16 jets is to protect Ukraine and added that the planes are planned to be delivered closer to the new year, with six initially, then the next year eight, then finally, another five the year after.
The development comes a day after a sudden Russian missile strike that targeted a Ukrainian theater, resulting in the death of seven people and the injury of nearly 150 others in the northern city of Chernihiv. According to Yahoo News, Zelensky vowed stern retaliation for the attack that killed a six-year-old girl and injured 15 children.
Zelensky noted that delivering F-16 jets to Ukraine will provide new energy, confidence, and motivation to Kyiv's fighters and civilians. He added that he is optimistic that the latest development will help his country deliver new results for itself and Europe.
On Friday, the United States government announced that it approved the transfer of the American-made F-16 jets to Ukraine. As the training of Ukrainian troops is planned to start later this month, Kyiv could begin the deployment of the aircraft as soon as 2024, said The Moscow Times.
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