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. "Now that we have received 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 that 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 achieve parity with the Russian air force. The Western allies have so far promised Ukraine fewer than 100 jets.
Following the shift in the Dutch government, the new Foreign Minister, Caspar Veldkamp, pledged the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after receiving approval. The Netherlands had committed to providing Ukraine with a total of 24 F-16 fighter jets, but Veldkamp did not provide specifics about the delivery schedule. Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed the need for around 130 F-16 jets to match Russia's air power, but Western allies have promised lesser numbers so far.
