Zelenskyy says more F-16 jets on way as he reflects on Ukraine's path to crucial Western airpower
Ukraine knew that it was possible to get F-16 fighter jets and that the world had the power to do so, said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, assuring that there will be more of them. The President published a video summarizing Ukraine's efforts to protect the sky above the country.
"Ukraine has been asking its partners to close the sky or provide planes since the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion," Zelenskyy wrote.
The video noted that the path to the F-16 was a long one with "hundreds of appeals, meetings and negotiations, many phone calls and conversations." Ukraine convinced leaders and public opinion in partner countries.
The Ukrainians managed to do what is usually done in four or five years in one year, said the head of state.
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine knew that it was possible, and the world had the power to do so.
"For the sake of this goal, we combined political, diplomatic and military work. Gradually, step by step, we managed to achieve the result. F-16 planes are already in the sky of Ukraine. And there will be even more of them!" said the Ukrainian leader.
On July 31, Bloomberg was the first to report that Ukraine received the first batch of F-16 multi-purpose fighters from the allies. At that time, Ukraine did not officially confirm the receipt of the F-16.
On August 4, 2024, the president officially announced that Ukraine had received the first F-16 Yehor Cherniev, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, said that the first F-16s that Ukraine received from Western partners are modern modifications with the latest avionics and radars.
On January 5, 2024, it was reported that Belgium plans to send two F-16 fighter jets to Denmark and about 50 personnel between March and September 2024 to train Ukrainian pilots.
On March 29, the Belgian government approved the allocation of about 100 million euros to Ukraine within the framework of the "aviation coalition": the funds will go to the maintenance of F-16 fighters.
On May 6, the defense minister of the Netherlands announced that the country plans to start sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in the fall, following Denmark, which will deliver them in the summer.
On May 24, it became known that the first group of combat pilots from Ukraine completed training on F-16 fighters, which took place in the USA. In July, Politico wrote that Democrats called on the Pentagon to expand the training of Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots.
