The United States has approved the delivery of Dutch and Danish F-16s to Ukraine once training of Ukrainian pilots for the aircraft has been completed. According to a US government official, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has informed the two countries by letter.
The Americans have given assurances to the Netherlands and Denmark that the US will grant all necessary permissions for the transport of the planes to Ukraine once the pilots have been trained.
Both countries, which are at the forefront of training Ukrainian pilots, had asked for those guarantees.
It may take another year before the F-16s are actually transported. This month, a coalition of eleven NATO countries will begin training Ukrainian pilots in Denmark. The first Ukrainian pilots are expected to have completed their training in the summer of next year.
Outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra says on X, formerly Twitter, that he welcomes Washington’s decision. “Now we will discuss the subject further with our European partners,” Hoekstra writes. (Reuters/AP)
2023-08-18 14:56:06
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