US agrees F-16 transfer to Kiev

Denmark and the Netherlands, which lead the education alliance, recently asked Washington for those pledges. A US State Department spokesman confirmed to the German news agency in Washington that the two countries have promised to expedite applications for permits for the delivery of fighter jets to Kiev once training of Ukrainian pilots and technicians is complete. . We appreciate Denmark and the Netherlands leading this alliance to train Ukrainian pilots.

Ukraine had previously said it could not expect the long-awaited F-16 jets this year. “It is obvious that Ukraine will not be able to defend Ukraine with F-16s this fall and winter,” Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on Ukrainian television. Above all, progress was made for Ukrainian pilots and technicians to begin training on jets “in the near future,” Ukrainian media quoted Ihnad as saying on Thursday night.

An alliance led by Denmark and the Netherlands was formed within NATO over the summer to train Ukrainian pilots to use the F-16. The United States also agreed to this. It was said at the time that the planes could also be sold later from stocks in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark or Norway. The US must approve the delivery of military jets from its allies to Ukraine, as the machines are manufactured by US firm Lockheed Martin and carry sensitive technology. That’s why Washington has a say in who gets to coach.

However, the promised training among the concerned is yet to be arranged. The current ground offensive by Ukrainian troops has been hampered by a lack of air cover and is progressing faster than Kiev expected.