The US decision paved the way for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, the Netherlands said.
Denmark and the Netherlands have confirmed that they have received US approval for the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. This was announced by the Danish television channel TV 2 on Friday, August 18.
In particular, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lykke Rasmussen said that his country sent a request to the United States for the supply of aircraft to Ukraine and received a “friendly response” from Washington.
“I can confirm that there was an exchange of letters between me and Anthony Blinken based on the fact that the Secretary of Defense and I went to the United States to explore our options,” the Foreign Minister said.
At the same time, Rasmussen emphasized that the decision on the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine has not yet been made. This issue is discussed among the allies.
“No decision has been made on this. We have formed an international coalition with training activities led by Denmark and the Netherlands, and we are continuing successfully. Then we will talk about the possible transfer of the aircraft, we discuss the this issue with our allies,” added the minister.
In turn, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra welcomed the US decision to “prepare the ground for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.”
“Many thanks to Anthony Blinken for good and quick cooperation. Now we want to continue discussing this topic with our European partners. This is an important milestone for Ukraine to protect its people and country,” wrote Hoekstra on Twitter.
Earlier, Reuters reported that the United States officially approved the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands. Deliveries can begin after Ukrainian pilots take possession of these fighters.
It will be recalled that in July, a coalition was officially created to train the Ukrainians in the F-16, which includes 11 countries.
At the same time, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba slightly moved the schedule for providing Ukraine with F-16 aircraft.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.