Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that the first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets, consisting of five aircraft, will be delivered to Ukraine in the upcoming month. This announcement was made during a joint press conference in Stockholm with leaders from other Nordic nations and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Denmark, as part of the coalition supporting Ukraine, had committed to providing 19 F-16 jets out of a total of around 40 pledged by the coalition. The Netherlands also pledged to contribute 24 aircraft of the same type to Ukraine.
Frederiksen emphasized the urgency of delivering Western arms and ammunition to Ukraine to aid in preventing further losses in the conflict. She highlighted the need for air defenses and called on Western nations to donate ammunition and air defense systems to support Ukraine in the ongoing conflict.
The Danish prime minister expressed concern over the current situation in Ukraine, particularly the Russian advance in the Donbass and Kharkov Region. She attributed the losses on the Ukrainian side to the lack of adequate air defenses and stressed the importance of addressing this issue promptly.
Denmark was announced to be the first country to deliver F-16s to Ukraine during the summer, followed by the Netherlands in the second half of the year.
Ukrainian officials have expressed their desire to acquire these US-made jets, believing they would enhance their defensive and offensive capabilities. However, there are concerns that Russia has already developed countermeasures against these aircraft. Moscow has cautioned that providing arms to Kiev will not alter the final outcome of the conflict, but rather prolong it.
