US approves F-16s supply to Ukraine from Denmark and Netherlands – Reuters
Fighter jet F-16
US has approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to regain air dominance as soon as pilot training is completed, a Reuters source said on Thursday.
Washington gave Denmark and the Netherlands official assurances that the US will expedite approval of transfer requests for F-16s to go to Ukraine when the pilots are trained, the official said.
Denmark and the Netherlands had recently asked for those assurances, as the US must approve the transfer of the military jets from its allies to Ukraine.
A coalition of 11 countries was due to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 fighter jets this month in Denmark. Denmark's Defense Minister Troels Poulsen said the country hoped to see "results" from the training in early 2024.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent letters to his Danish and Dutch counterparts assuring them that the requests would be approved.
Blinken said, "It remains critical that Ukraine is able to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression and violation of its sovereignty."
U.S. President Joe Biden endorsed training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in May. In addition to training in Denmark, a training center was to be set up in Romania.
How to train Ukrainian pilots and receive F16s in no time
The F16s issue was discussed at June's Ramstein meeting, when Ukraine's allies pledged to approve a training program for Ukrainian pilots, engineers and technicians on the fighters, with the training taking place in a specially created center in a European country.
The transfer of Western-made F-16 jets to Ukraine is expected to take place in early 2024, although specific dates have not been determined yet, according to Politico.
The prime ministers of the Netherlands and Great Britain, Mark Rutte and Rishi Sunak, agreed to work on forming an international coalition of fighter jets for Ukraine. Soon Denmark joined the leading group.
In early June, Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said that Kyiv had selected the first groups of Ukrainian pilots for training in the UK.
On July 6, Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) discussed a project to create a pilot training center to operate F-16 fighter jets, which will be accessible to NATO members and allies. Rubryka explained the urgency of the foreign jets supply to Ukraine.
