The Netherlands will immediately start supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, its Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced during his visit to Kyiv.
Ukraine hopes the American-made jets will better protect its soldiers and cities from daily Russian bombings.
On his first international trip since his appointment as Foreign Minister, Veldkamp assured that with export licenses approved last week, the Netherlands is now ready to dispatch such aircraft to Ukraine.
“Now that we received the green light for the first F-16s, we promised delivery without delay,” the new minister confirmed on Saturday during a press conference in the Ukrainian capital.
The details of his trip were kept confidential until Sunday due to security reasons.
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The precise date for the arrival of the first of the 24 F-16s promised by the Netherlands to Ukraine was not provided by the minister.
Veldkamp is part of the recently elected coalition in which Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) holds the most significant position. The new government has reiterated the Netherlands’ support for Ukraine.
Ukraine began requesting F-16s soon after Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and Ukrainian pilots have undergone months of training in NATO countries.
Several NATO member states, including Belgium, have pledged to provide such aircraft known for their precision, velocity and range. In an interview with AFP in May, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine needs approximately 130 to achieve airborne parity with Russia.
However, Western countries have promised fewer than 100.
Russia has warned that its forces will target any Western military equipment, including the F-16s, sent to Ukraine.
