Kuleba: F-16 coalition is working to increase number of aircraft to be transferred to Ukraine
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the F-16 coalition is working, among other things, to increase the number of aircraft to be handed over to Ukraine after training Ukrainian pilots and engineers.
"The F-16 Coalition is working, in particular, to increase the number of aircraft to be transferred to Ukraine," Kuleba said at a press conference with Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Gerdina Johannette Bruins Slot, who arrived in Kyiv, Censor.NET reports, with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
The minister noted that all political decisions on the F-16 issue have been made, and the technical preparation phase is now underway.
"As soon as the technical training is completed - both for pilots and technicians, and the infrastructure in Ukraine - these aircraft will be in Ukraine," he assured.
According to Kuleba, everything is currently " connected to solely technical things" and not political ones.
"Today I have received assurances that the commitments made by the Netherlands to provide Ukraine with F-16s will be fulfilled. We are grateful for this," the Foreign Minister emphasized.
Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department expressed its readiness to approve the transfer of U.S.-made F-16s to Ukraine by a third party. The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway have announced their intention to provide Ukraine with fighter jets.
In October, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said that the first F-16s could arrive in the Ukrainian Air Force no earlier than spring 2024.
On November 13, the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) opened in Romania at the 86th Fetești Air Base, where Ukrainian pilots will receive training.
Later, the Pentagon reported that Ukrainian pilots are being trained in the United States and Europe in both F-16 flight operation and maintenance.
