Denmark and the Netherlands said they have received US approval to send their F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as soon as pilots have been trained.
(Bloomberg) — Denmark and the Netherlands said they have received US approval to send their F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as soon as pilots have been trained.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he had received a “friendly letter” from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, giving Denmark “certain options for action,” according to an interview broadcast by DR on Friday.
He declined to say when Denmark might send the aircraft. The Nordic country has previously said it wants to hold on to its roughly 30 F-16 jets through 2024. The aircraft are being phased out as Denmark receives 27 new F-35 Joint Striker Fighters it has ordered from Lockheed Martin Corp.
A Dutch government spokesperson confirmed the Netherlands also received a letter from Blinken giving green light to deliveries.
Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra thanked the US for “good and swift cooperation,” in a post on social-media platform X. “Now, we will further discuss the subject with our European partners,” he said.
The Netherlands currently has 42 F-16 fighter jets in its inventory, 24 of which are being used by the Dutch defense and can’t be sent to Ukraine until mid-2024. The Netherlands and Denmark have been leading the coalition to train the Ukrainian pilots.
(Updates to add Dutch approval from first paragraph)
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