EINDHOVEN – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday, two days after the rustic stated the United States had given its approval for Dutch and Danish government to ship F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine’s air pressure.
Zelenskyy is assembly Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at an army air base in the southern town of Eindhoven. The Ukrainian chief used to be in Sweden an afternoon previous.
The U.S. approval Friday for the Netherlands and Denmark to ship American-made F-16s to Ukraine used to be observed as a big spice up for Kyiv, even if the fighter jets received’t have an affect any time quickly at the nearly 18-month war.
Ukraine has lengthy pleaded for the subtle fighter to give it a fight edge. It lately introduced a long-anticipated counteroffensive in opposition to the Kremlin’s forces with out air duvet, putting its troops on the mercy of Russian aviation and artillery.
The Dutch and Danish governments also are concerned in a coalition this is running to educate Ukrainian pilots to fly the complex fighter jets.
Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen stated Friday that the educational of Ukrainian pilots is beginning this month. Officials have in the past stated that Ukrainian pilots will want six to eight months of training.
Washington says the F-16s — just like the complex U.S. Abrams tanks — shall be crucial in the long term as Kyiv faces down Russia.
Ukraine has been depending on older airplane, similar to Russian-made MiG29 and Sukhoi jets. F-16s have more recent era and concentrated on features. They also are extra flexible, experts say.
In a video message previous Sunday, Zelenskyy vowed a stern retaliation to a Russian missile strike the day before today in the middle of the northern Ukrainian town of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded over 100 others.
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