Ukraine is yet to receive the first of the pledged F-16 fighter jets, despite waiting for them for a year and a half, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the BBC on July 18.
The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium have pledged close to 80 F-16s under the fighter jet coalition launched in July 2023, with up to 20 expected to arrive this year.
Kyiv has been calling for these U.S.-made fourth-generation jets since the very first year of the full-scale war in order to bolster its air fleet, which is otherwise made up of Soviet-made aircraft.
Despite promises by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on July 10 that the first Dutch and Danish F-16s are already on their way, no delivery has been confirmed so far.
"It's been 18 months, and the planes have not reached us," Zelensky said in the interview while stressing that he is thankful for the allied support.
The president added that the fighter jets could help Ukraine push back against Russian forces and "unblock the skies."
Zelensky added that the pledged numbers are not sufficient, as Ukraine requires at least 128 planes to successfully defend itself against Russian aggression.
Although some defense experts do not expect F-16s to become game-changers in the war, the jets may strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities and shield the country's population centers from Russia's daily bombardments.
Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa said that the upcoming delivery of F-16s to Ukraine will challenge Russia's "full dominance" of the skies over the Black Sea.
Denmark and the Netherlands indicated that they would allow Ukraine to strike with F-16s inside Russia, although Copenhagen said that such a move would "depend on the circumstances."
Chris York
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