The United States has approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russian invaders as soon as pilot training is completed, a US official says.
Ukraine has actively sought the US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russian air superiority.
The officials said Washington had given Denmark and the Netherlands official assurances the US would expedite approval of transfer requests for F-16s to go to Ukraine once the pilots were trained.
“We welcome Washington’s decision to pave the way for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Now, we will further discuss the subject with our European partners.”
Denmark also said providing Ukraine with the jets would now be discussed.
“The government has said several times that a donation is a natural next step after training,” Danish defence minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen told news agency Ritzau on Friday.
“We are discussing it with close allies, and I expect we will soon be able to be more concrete about that.”
A coalition of 11 countries was due to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 fighter jets this month in Denmark.
Denmark’s acting Defence Minister Troels Poulsen said in July the country hoped to see “results” from the training early next year.
NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands have been leading international efforts to train pilots and support staff, maintain aircraft and ultimately enable Ukraine to obtain F-16s to use in its war with Russia.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in May said the Netherlands was seriously considering providing Ukraine with F-16s, as it is currently phasing out the fighter jets from its own armed forces.
The F-16 is made by Lockheed Martin.