Zelensky suggests West too slow on F-16s

A number of Ukraine’s backers have pledged to deliver up to 60 US-made warplanes to Kiev by the end of this year

Vladimir Zelensky has lamented that Ukraine’s Western backers still have not delivered a single F-16 out of the dozens they pledged. He reiterated the importance of the US-made fighter jets, arguing that they would help counter Russia’s aerial dominance and “unblock the skies.”

During NATO’s Vilnius Summit last July, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Sweden formed the ‘F-16 coalition’, later joined by Greece, the US, Bulgaria, and France. Some of the nations have vowed to donate aircraft from their own militaries, while others train Ukrainian pilots.

Speaking about the F-16s in an exclusive interview with the BBC on Thursday, Zelensky said, “it’s been 18 months and the planes have not reached us.”

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NATO state to donate F-16s to Ukraine

Earlier this month, the outgoing Dutch government revealed that it had finalized preparations for the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine, which should take place “soon.” Amsterdam has pledged a total of 24 warplanes.

Around the same time, Denmark also confirmed that it was in the process of transferring the 19 fighter jets it promised to Kiev.

Belgium is expected to supply Ukraine with 30 F-16s, and Norway has announced it plans to send six.

Speaking in Washington, DC on the sidelines of this month’s NATO summit, Zelensky lamented that the number of F-16s pledged by Ukraine’s Western backers is too low, with Kiev expected to field no more than 20 anytime soon.

“Even if we will have 50, it’s nothing. They have 300,” the Ukrainian leader stated, referring to the estimated number of warplanes Russia is using.

While on the defensive, Ukraine would need a fleet of 128 F-16s for parity with Russia, Zelensky said at the time.

Moscow has warned that supplying Western warplanes to Kiev will increase the risk of a direct military confrontation with NATO. Moscow has also stressed that if the aircraft take off from foreign bases and are used against Russian forces, these facilities will become “legitimate targets” for Russian strikes.