Introduction

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Sunday told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Netherlands and Denmark would provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

Rutte, in a meeting with Zelensky at a Dutch airbase, said the planes would be delivered as soon as he did not specify “conditions”.

Offer from the Netherlands and Denmark

The announcement came minutes after Rutte and Zelenskiy inspected two gray F-16s parked in a hangar at the base.

The offer comes two days after the Netherlands and Denmark said the United States had allowed them to supply US-made F-16s to Ukraine.

Commitment to Deliver F-16s

Rutte’s announcement today marks the first actual commitment to deliver F-16s to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Zelensky said today that he had reached an agreement with Rutte on the transfer of 42 F-16s to Kyiv.

Zelenskiy tweeted that the planes would be used to counter Russian forces, stressing that the agreement represented a new step to bolster his country’s air shield. He added that the transfer of forty-two aircraft “is just the beginning.”

For his part, Rutte said the Netherlands could not say how many F-16 fighters they would provide to Ukraine.

There are currently 24 F-16s in operation in the Netherlands, which will be retired by mid-2024. The Netherlands has 18 more aircraft for sale.

Confirmation from Denmark

For its part, the Danish Foreign Ministry confirmed today in a statement that Denmark and the Netherlands will supply Ukraine with F-16 fighters as soon as the necessary conditions are met.

“We approve the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine and the Ukrainian Air Force in close cooperation with the United States and other partners, while fulfilling the necessary conditions for their delivery,” the ministry added.

“The conditions include, but are not limited to, the selection of Ukrainian personnel for flights on the F-16, their successful testing and training, as well as the availability of the necessary infrastructure, logistics and licenses,” the agency added.