Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at a joint press conference with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Mykolaiv on January 26 that preparations for the transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark to Ukraine are going according to plan. He said it is progressing.
Earlier this month, Danish newspaper Berlingske reported, citing the country’s Defense Ministry, that the donation of six F-16s to Kiev could be delayed by up to six months. Yuri Ifnata spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force subsequently said there was no official statement from the Danish Ministry.
“We are very grateful to Mr. Lars for ensuring that preparations for the delivery of F-16s from Denmark are proceeding as planned. So far, there are no threats to disrupt this plan,” Kleba said. Stated.
He praised Copenhagen for “keeping its promise” and said the decision was historic as Denmark and the Netherlands were the first countries to commit to deploying F-16s to Ukraine.
In mid-August 2023, Denmark committed to providing Ukraine with 19 F-16s, with the first six expected to be delivered in spring 2024 and the rest by 2025.
Danish and Dutch officials said the delivery schedule would depend on factors such as Ukraine’s infrastructure and pilot readiness.
The Fighter Alliance, which trains Ukrainian pilots and technical staff, was officially established in July 2023 by the two countries as well as Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Since then, countries including the United States, Greece and Bulgaria have also pledged support for the training.
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