In a landmark move, the Netherlands and Denmark have confirmed their commitment to contribute F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, according to recent announcements by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Danish foreign ministry.
These revelations came during a joint press conference featuring Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, held at Eindhoven airport. Rutte asserted that his nation, together with Denmark, would supply F-16s to Ukraine upon fulfillment of certain essential conditions.
Applauding this major development, an appreciative Zelensky referred to the agreement as "historic" and "the most important" to date. Gratefully, he acknowledged that the Netherlands was the first nation to commit to assisting Ukraine with F-16s after completion of training exercises.
However, it was noted that despite this boost, it would be months before the Ukrainian forces can actually pilot these fighter jets.
The published statement from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the prerequisites for the aircraft transfer include preparatory training for Ukrainians, establishment of necessary infrastructure and logistics, and acquisition of the required authorizations.
Though the exact count of F-16s set to be transferred was not disclosed in the Danish statement, Rutte also shared that the final number was yet to be determined. He explained, “At this moment, the Netherlands still owns 42 F-16s. Out of these 42, we need planes to help training in Denmark and later on in Romania.”
Rutte assured that the possibility of providing all remaining aircraft would be explored but could not guarantee a specific quantity at that time. Preparations are already underway, with language training for Ukrainian personnel in progress, and military training in Denmark to commence shortly.
This announcement follows a separate commitment from a US representative on Friday, who confirmed American approval for the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, pending completion of training.
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov corroborated this on Saturday, revealing that Ukrainian pilots had already launched their training. In view of the Russian air supremacy, Kyiv has been fervently urging its Western allies to expedite delivery of F-16 aircraft. The single-engine, multi-role jet planes have the advantage of versatility, being effective for both air-to-air and ground-attack missions.
