The Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren, announced in an interview with European Pravda that her country will deliver the first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this summer.
"There will be more and more planes, and this will strengthen your Air Force... I can't name a date, so I say this summer. We are now following this plan. At the same time, first, you will receive planes from Denmark. We will be after Denmark, but this is a joint plan," Ollongren clarified.
The Minister added that everything is moving according to plan in regard to preparing the Ukrainian infrastructure for receiving the jets.
"Ukraine is on the right track, and this is very important, because, as you said, it is not only pilots that are needed. It is also about technical personnel, and about planes, and the equipment that they need, as well as about the infrastructure in your country,” Minister Kajsa Ollongren added.
In May, the minister provided a more pessimistic timeline, stating that the initial transfer of Dutch F-16s to Ukraine would likely not happen until autumn.
Ollongren said that F-16s themselves would change the course of the war.
"These fighters will be delivered gradually. Combat use will show their effectiveness. It will significantly strengthen the Air Force, and at some point, it may lead to your air superiority,” she said.
