Danish Foreign Minister: US gave permission to send F-16s to Ukraine

The United States handed over permission from Denmark to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after graduating the training of pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was announced by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lökke Rasmussen, transmits Danmark radio.

“We have received a friendly letter from US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that gives us some options. <...> This means that there is no longer a barrier to being able to do so. And together with our allies, we are now exploring what the next step might be,” Rasmussen said.

He added that the Netherlands had received a similar authorization letter.

August 18 Reuters, citing an unnamed US official reportedthat Washington approved the delivery of F-16s to Ukrainians from Denmark and the Netherlands. In the letter, Blinken expressed U.S. support for the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian pilots, the agency noted. The Secretary of State added that Kyiv will be able to take advantage of “new opportunities” after the completion of pilot training.

At the May summit of the leaders of the G7 countries (USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan) in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, an agreement was announced to supply fourth-generation American-made F-16 fighter jets to Kiev. The Pentagon said that the European coalition to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 will be led by Denmark and the Netherlands.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), answering the moderator’s question, declaredthat in the case of deliveries to Ukraine, F-16 fighters will burn in the same way as Leopard tanks. In the Kremlin before spokethat the supply of fighter jets to Kyiv will not change the situation on the line of contact. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov promised military-technical response in the event of an F-16 appearing in the sky of Ukraine.