Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced on Monday, on the “X” social media platform that the Netherlands will supply Ukraine with an additional 6 F-16 fighter jets.
This brings the total number of fighter jets that the Netherlands is preparing to provide to Ukraine to 24.
A timeline for the delivery of these fighter jets to Ukraine has not yet been specified.
According to Bloomberg news agency, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren stated on the “X” platform that Ukrainian air superiority is “essential for countering Russian aggression.”
On 22 December, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that the Netherlands had decided to commence preparations for delivering the first 18 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
The Netherlands also announced that it would send 18 F-16s to Romania to train Ukrainian pilots.
The Netherlands has 42 F-16 aircraft in service but no longer needs them as the country is switching to the much more modern F-35s.
In an interview with European Pravda, Kajsa Ollongren called 2024 the realistic date for the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine.
She noted that the country would transfer almost all of its F-16s to Ukraine, except for those that would be used to train Ukrainian pilots.
In the same vein, the US senators unveiled the details of a long-awaited agreement poised to release billions in new aid for Ukraine and Israel, alongside stricter US border regulations.
However, the leading House Republican immediately declared intentions to reject it.
The proposed national security supplemental aims to allocate $118.3 billion in total funding, with $60 billion designated for Ukraine in line with the White House‘s request, and $14.1 billion for Israel’s security aid, as outlined by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray.
