Stoltenberg about the F-16: Ukraine will have the right to strike military facilities in the Russian Federation

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Ukrainian pilots of F-16 fighter jets will have the right to strike legitimate military targets in Russia.

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with Radio Svoboda's European service.

Responding to a question about when Ukraine will be able to deploy F-16 fighters, Stoltenberg said that it was impossible to say.

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He confirmed that all allies of Ukraine want the fighters to appear in Ukraine as soon as possible, but noted that the effect of the F-16 will be stronger if the pilots are well trained and the crews and other service personnel are well prepared.

«Therefore, I think we should listen to the opinion of military experts when exactly we will be ready or when the allies will be ready to start sending and delivering F-16s. The earlier, the better,» he said.

According to Stoltenberg, each ally will decide for itself whether to supply F-16s to Ukraine, and the allies follow different policies.

But at the same time, the Secretary General noted, the war in Ukraine is an aggressive war, and Kyiv has the right to self-defense, including striking legitimate Russian military facilities outside Ukraine.

Delivery of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine

Canada will allocate about 45 million dollars, which will go to support F-16 fighters in Ukraine. In particular, these funds will help obtain vital supplies and equipment for the F-16, such as spare parts, weapons, avionics and ammunition.

The Netherlands will also add six more aircraft to the 18 F-16 fighters that are being prepared for delivery to Ukraine.

The Pentagon expects that Ukraine will receive the first F-16 fighters already this year.

Denmark also plans to transfer F-16 aircraft to Ukraine. At a briefing in Mykolaiv, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba stated that there is no threat of disrupting the transfer of the F-16 fighter jets promised by Denmark. The leadership of Ukraine is confident that they will appear in the Ukrainian sky in 2024.

In December , the first group of Ukrainian pilots underwent basic training for F-16 flights in Great Britain. These six pilots are currently training to fly fighter jets in Denmark.