U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday that the first group of U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets are already being sent to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands. These jets will be in the Ukrainian skies this summer, according to Blinken.
Speaking at a NATO summit event in Washington, Blinken also revealed that a comprehensive package for Ukraine will be unveiled in the next couple of days, designed to strengthen Ukraine’s capabilities.
“I’m also pleased to announce that as we speak, the transfer of F-16 jets is underway, coming from Denmark, coming from the Netherlands,” Blinken said.
“And those jets…will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression.”
Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian attacks has been heavily reliant on bolstering its air defenses. Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in the spring led to widespread blackouts.
Last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed the need to double Ukraine’s air defense capacity over the summer, calling for at least seven additional Patriot systems to ensure protection.
have announced the delivery of five additional Patriot and other strategic air defense systems to support Ukraine’s efforts. Further aid announcements are expected at this week’s summit in Washington, marking the alliance’s 75th anniversary.
A joint statement from the leaders of the United States, Denmark, and the Netherlands confirmed that Danish and Dutch governments are donating American-made F-16s to Ukraine, with U.S. support.
“We are grateful to Belgium and Norway for committing to provide further aircraft, and to the other members of the Air Force Capability Coalition for their support,” the statement said, adding the coalition’s commitment to further enhance Ukraine’s air capabilities.