Denmark gives Ukraine F-16s on condition they are not used in Russia
Photo: Perry Aston / U.S. Air Force

Ukraine cannot use the F-16 fighter jets Denmark will provide outside its territory, Danish defence minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen told Ritzau news agency.

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"We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that", Mr Ellemann-Jensen said.

"Those are the conditions, whether it's tanks, fighter planes or something else," he said.

On Sunday, Denmark announced that it would donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, while the Netherlands would transfer some of the 42 fighter jets it is currently replacing with more modern F-35s.

In May, US president Joe Biden officially confirmed that the US military would start training Ukrainian pilots for the F-16, which already started last week.

Ukraine, which has long been pushing for modern fighter jets, has indicated it needs four squadrons, that is 48 F-16s, to effectively deter Russian aggression.

war in UkraineF-16Denmark