US approves sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands for the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war

According to Reuters, a US official confirmed on Thursday, August 17, that the United States has given approval to send F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine for use in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The transfer is set to occur once pilot training is completed.

Reports indicate that the US has committed to expediting the clearance process for transferring F-16s to Ukraine after the completion of pilot training. Secretary of State Antony Blinken conveyed this assurance in letters to his counterparts in Denmark and the Netherlands, as seen by Reuters.

Denmark and the Netherlands had sought assurances from the US regarding the transfer. The US must grant approval for military jet transfers from its allied nations to Ukraine.

In these letters, Blinken expressed the United States’ full support for both the transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors. He emphasized the importance of enabling Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression and sovereignty violations.

Blinken’s approval of the requests is expected to allow Ukraine to fully utilize its new capabilities once the initial group of pilots completes their training.

Throughout the war, Ukraine has actively sought US-made F-16 fighter jets to counter Russia’s air superiority. However, Russia has expressed concerns that providing these advanced jets to Ukraine would escalate the situation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated last month that Moscow would view the Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine as a nuclear threat due to their potential to carry atomic weapons.

Lavrov was quoted by the Russian foreign ministry as saying, “We will consider the very fact that the Ukrainian armed forces possess such systems as a nuclear threat from the West.”

Denmark and the Netherlands intend to train Ukrainian pilots on the operation of US-made aircraft as part of an 11-nation coalition. Denmark’s defense minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, previously mentioned that training would commence in his country in August.