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Zelensky: Portugal to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s

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Zelensky: Portugal to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s
Portuguese Air Force F-16 aircraft fly over the national flag during the ceremony of the Portugal's National Day Celebrations at Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 10, 2020. (Photo credit: Pedro Fiúza/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Portugal has confirmed that it will join international efforts to train Ukrainian pilots and technicians on F-16 fighter jets, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Aug. 24, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.

"Portugal is a member of our tank and aviation coalition. Today, Portugal confirmed its readiness to join the training of Ukrainian pilots and engineers on F-16 aircraft," the president said after meeting his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Kyiv.

Zelensky added that the two leaders discussed further defense cooperation, in particular the supply of armored medical vehicles and mine-clearing equipment.

"We are grateful that Portugal supported the Peace Formula, and participates in joint work with partners in the preparation of the Ukraine-Latin America and Ukraine-Africa summits," the Ukrainian president said.

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During the NATO summit in Vilnius in mid-July, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov had announced the official formation of the "fighter jet coalition," a group of 11 countries that will assist Kyiv with training its pilots on F-16s and with acquiring the aircraft itself.

First Ukrainian pilots have already begun their training in Denmark. Reznikov said that he expects it will take at least six to seven months before Ukrainian pilots and technicians are ready to operate the aircraft.

So far, Denmark and the Netherlands have pledged to provide their own F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force. On Aug. 24, Norwegian news channel TV 2 reported that Oslo also plans to supply its retired U.S.-made jets.

Media: Norway to donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine
Norway has decided to donate an unspecified number of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, the Norwegian TV 2 television channel reported on Aug. 24, citing unnamed sources.
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Martin Fornusek

Senior News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

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