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The first F-16 fighter jets are on their way to Ukraine and will fly this summer, according to a statement from the Dutch and Danish governments that was released by the White House at the NATO summit.
Dick Schoof, the prime minister of the Netherlands, and Mette Frederiksen, his Danish counterpart, said the "transfer process" of the F-16 to Kiev was underway after months of pilot training and political negotiations.
The two leaders said that "Ukraine will fly operational F-16s this summer" - the first of some 85 fighter jets that have been committed to Kiev to turn its fortunes on the battlefield, and Ukraine signaled that more could be coming.
The long-awaited supply of F-16s is part of what NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said would be "a substantial package" of support for Ukraine, which includes the donation of four Patriot air defense systems , NATO-led training for Ukraine and a commitment that Kiev's eventual path to membership is "irreversible".
Allies are also expected to directly criticize China, in stronger language than before, for aiding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
It ends a long wait for Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has lobbied for at least 18 months for Western jets to supplement its small and aging Soviet-standard air force, which is no match for the of Russia.
Zelenskiy said he was grateful to Denmark, the Netherlands and the US for taking what he described as practical aid steps - and indicated he hoped for more donations to increase the number to a target of 130.
It remains unclear how effective the F-16, a fighter jet designed in the 1970s, will be in the war against Russia. Particularly important will be how they are hidden and protected when on the ground, at a time when Ukraine's air defenses are stretched./ TheGuardian
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