Denmark will deliver 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine - Prime Minister of the Denmark

According to Prime Minister of Denmark, Denmark plans to send the first six F-16 aircraft out of the announced 19 to Ukraine closer to the New Year.

“As for specific questions: when do we plan to deliver these planes. We are currently continuing the screening process, it will start soon, so hopefully closer to the New Year the first group of aircraft will leave Danish soil and fly to Ukraine”, said Mette Frederiksen.

She also expressed hope that eight more planes would fly from Denmark to Ukraine next year.

"We will do it as soon as possible. We need all the necessary technical details, all the skills to be as prepared as possible, and then we will be ready," said the Prime Minister.

Denmark and added that over 70 military personnel from Ukraine are training and preparing for training in Denmark. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a visit to Denmark right after he visited the Netherlands.

On August 20, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky together with First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived at an official visit to the Netherlands today.

Transfer of Western F-16 fighters to Ukraine

On May 19, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the readiness of the United States to agree to the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. Belgium and Denmark will join the “air coalition”.

National Security Advisor to the US President, Jake Sullivan, said that the US may agree to provide Ukraine with modern combat aircraft, including the F-16, if they will not be used for strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation.

On May 21, during the G7 summit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed his readiness to help train Ukrainian military pilots. After the G7 summit, it turned out that the US unblocked the training of Ukrainian pilots for fighter jets and the supply of air transport by other countries. Biden confirmed the US intention to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16, but pointed out that Kyiv had promised not to use them for attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation.

At the G7 summit, there were talks with partners about training Ukrainian pilots, but it is too early to talk about the full handover of the machines, said Jake Sullivan, the US President's national security adviser.

On May 22, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets is a priority for the US and other allies. The partners will start implementing the corresponding plan in the coming months.

On May 23, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's western allies would individually decide when to start training Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets.