Now everything is suddenly going very fast! In light of the serious Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, the US has agreed to deploy the first F-16 fighter jets. Other countries also want to take action ‘immediately’.
On the sidelines of the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked allies for large numbers of Western fighter jets.
Ukraine is hoping for its first individual F-16 aircraft this summer, and his country, under attack from Russia, needs at least 128 fighter jets, Zelensky said in a speech to the Ronald Reagan Foundation in Washington.
F-16s are now being delivered
Apparently, his call was heard. According to US information, NATO partners have started delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after a delay of about a year. “Right now, the movement of F-16 aircraft is underway,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington on Wednesday.
It was also announced that Norway would donate six fighter jets of this type to Ukraine. A coalition of the Netherlands and Denmark had already promised Kiev fighter jets last year, but the delivery was delayed. Blinken would not say how many machines are now on the road. The new Dutch government promised Kiev an “immediate” delivery over the weekend.
Zelensky wants at least 128 jets
According to Ukrainian media reports, Zelenskyy found an original comparison for the partners’ earlier hesitation: “You know, we always wait. Just like my mother used to wait for me after school and I always found a reason to come late. It’s the same, only much more serious.”
The Ukrainian president complained that the discussion was about only 10 or 20 jets. “Even if there are 50, it’s nothing. They (the Russians) have 300,” he said. “Until we have 128 jets, we can’t compete with them in the air.” He gave no further details about this number. Western allies have so far promised Ukraine fewer than 100 fighter jets.
Source: Krone
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