NATO allies begin transfer of F-16s to Ukraine, Blinken says
Al Jazeera
Transfer of fighter jets aims to help Kyiv ‘effectively defend itself’ against Russia’s invasion, top US diplomat says.
The first batch of United States-built F-16 fighter jets are being transferred to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says, as world leaders pledge continued support for Kyiv at a NATO summit in Washington, DC.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday, Blinken said the F-16s were being transferred from Denmark and the Netherlands.
“And those jets … will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression,” the top US diplomat said.
Backing for Ukraine during Russia’s invasion of the country is at the top of the agenda at this week’s NATO summit in the US capital, where the leaders of the alliance’s 32 member countries have gathered.
Ukraine has long sought advanced Western aircraft, and US President Joe Biden in August gave the green light to transfer F-16s to the country despite concerns about how long it would take Ukrainian personnel to train to fly the planes.
