Netherlands pledges "immediate" delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine
Few days after the government change in the Netherlands, new Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp during a visit to Ukraine promised the "immediate" delivery of F-16 fighter jets. "Since we now have the approval for the delivery of the first F-16 jets, they will be delivered immediately", Veldkamp said on Saturday in Kiev to journalists.
The Netherlands had promised Ukraine a total of 24 F-16 fighter jets. Veldkamp made no further statements about the delivery schedule.
Veldkamp is part of the new Dutch government, which came into being after months of coalition negotiations. The strongest party in the coalition is the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) of Geert Wilders. The new prime minister Mark Rutte, as well as Wilders himself, had confirmed Dutch support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said in May in an interview with the news agency AFP that Ukraine needs a total of around 130 F-16 jets to establish parity with the Russian air force. The Western allies have so far promised Ukraine fewer than 100 jets.
Following the change of government in the Netherlands, the new Foreign Minister, Caspar Veldkamp, announced the immediate delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine during his visit. The Dutch government, led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, had previously promised a total of 24 F-16 jets to Ukraine, but Veldkamp provided no specifics regarding the delivery schedule after his announcement. After the approval for the first batch of F-16 jets, Netherlands is set to deliver them immediately, in line with Veldkamp's statement.
