Mr. Zelensky: F-16 will help Ukraine defeat Russia

President Zelensky said that the commitment to provide F-16 fighters from Denmark and the Netherlands made him confident that Ukraine could win.

"We can be confident that Russia will fail. I am sure Ukraine will win," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a crowd of supporters in front of the Danish parliament building today, referring to the decision to provide F-16 fighter jets to Kiev announced by Copenhagen a day earlier.

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said on the same day that supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine would further escalate the conflict. "Under the pretext that Kiev must decide the terms of peace , Denmark's actions and statements leave Ukraine with no choice but to continue military confrontation with Russia," he said.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on August 20 that her country will transfer 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The first six will be delivered to Ukraine on New Year's Day, followed by eight in 2024 and five in 2025.

President Zelensky next to an F-16 fighter jet at Denmark's Skrydstrup base on August 20. Photo: AFP

Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine would only be allowed to use the F-16s on its own territory. "We provide these weapons on the condition that they will only use them to push the enemy away from Ukrainian territory, and not further. These conditions apply to all equipment, including tanks and fighter jets," he said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also announced that he would provide an unspecified number of F-16 fighters to Ukraine once the transfer conditions are met. The Netherlands currently owns a total of 42 US-made F-16 fighters, but it is unclear how many are still operational.

Observers say this is the first substantial commitment made by allies to transfer F-16 fighters to the Ukrainian armed forces.

NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands are leading international efforts to train pilots and support staff, maintain and eventually help Ukraine acquire F-16s. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent letters to his Danish and Dutch counterparts on August 17 to assure them that requests for F-16s to Ukraine would be approved.

Two Ukrainian officials said last week that only six pilots, or half an air force regiment, are eligible for F-16 training. The training, which is expected to last at least six months, will not begin until January 2024.

General James Hecker, commander of the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), said that receiving F-16 fighters does not mean that the Ukrainian Air Force is ready for combat. The US general also admitted that the F-16 meets some of Ukraine's combat requirements, but is not a "silver bullet" capable of changing the situation on the battlefield.

"It will take more time to build several F-16 squadrons, ensuring that the Ukrainian air force is capable of operating smoothly and mastering the equipment. This could take 4-5 years," he said.

Vu Anh (According to Reuters )

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