United to win: Netherlands permits Ukraine to strike Russian territory from F-16 jets

The Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren, said that the 24 F-16 fighters that the Netherlands will transfer to Ukraine could strike targets on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Politico reports this.

According to Ollongren, the Netherlands will not be imposing any restrictions. This is in contrast to Belgium, where Prime Minister Alexander De Croo cautioned Kyiv about allowing flights of F–16 fighter jets from his country into Russian airspace.

"There is no Belgian-style restriction. We apply the same principle that we apply to every other delivery of forces and assets, namely: as soon as we hand them over to Ukraine, they can use them," Ollongren said.

She added that Amsterdam only asks Ukraine to comply with international law and the right to self-defense, as stated in the UN Charter, "which means that they will use it to destroy military targets that they need for self-defense."

As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated, Ukraine defends itself against Russian aggression, and self-defense is legitimate under international law, so Kyiv has the right to strike targets on the aggressor's territory.

For reference:

It should be noted that after the start of a new offensive by Russian troops in the Kharkiv region, some European countries started a campaign to ease restrictions on the use of weapons transferred to Ukraine.

In turn, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also emphasized that Ukraine's use of Western weapons against Russian targets would not make NATO part of the conflict. The head of the Alliance has redoubled efforts to urge allies to lift restrictions on hitting targets in Russia.

The US Helsinki Commission also stated that the United States of America should allow Ukraine to strike with American weapons against the forces of the Russian Armed Forces in the border areas of Russia. However, the Pentagon said that American weapons are intended for use on the territory of Ukraine.

On May 28, the Prime Minister of Belgium explained during a press conference that the 30 F-16 fighter jets that Belgium has pledged to hand over to Ukraine can only be used on Ukrainian territory. The same applies to other weapons provided for in the security agreement.

Which countries supported Kyiv regarding the use of Western weapons on the territory of Russia:

• Sweden allowed Ukraine to use its weapons to attack the Russian Federation.
• Poland supported Ukraine's right to use Western weapons to attack Russia.
• The Czech Republic supported using partners' weapons for defense in the aggressor's territory.
• The Netherlands supported strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation with Western weapons.
• Ukraine can attack the territory of the Russian Federation with the help of weapons provided by Finland.
• Moreover, permission to use the transferred weapons for attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation was supported by the Baltic states.
• The Joe Biden administration has eased its policy of forbidding Ukraine from using American weaponry against Russian targets. However,  some restrictions still remain in effect.
• Germany has allowed Ukraine's military to conduct attacks on Russian territory but within a restricted area of effect.
• The Netherlands allows Ukraine to use F-16 fighter jets on the territory of the Russian Federation.