Ukraine requires 120-130 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to effectively contest Russian presence over the battlefield, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Reuters on May 21.
In the interview, Zelenskyy stated that the Russians are using 300 military aircraft against Ukraine.
“We need at least 120-130 F-16 planes to be able to oppose the enemy in the air,” the president said.
He added that Poland could shoot down Russian cruise missiles over western Ukraine using its aircraft. According to Zelenskyy, whenever enemy missiles are heading towards NATO countries, Kyiv immediately alerts Poland and other nations.
“It’s a matter of willingness; but everyone is afraid of escalation,” he remarked.
In August 2023, the Netherlands and Denmark promised to jointly transfer 61 U.S.-made F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Norway and Belgium later joined the initiative as well.
On May 10, Western media reported that the first batch of F-16s would arrive in Ukraine within a few weeks.
© 2024 The New Voice of Ukraine
It’s sadly typical for Nato support so far that the 61 jets promised to Ukraine are just half the number needed. Always too little, too late! That’s so annoying, especially since Denmark just sold 24 F-16s to effing Argentina (which may use them to attack the Falklands again). WTF? I don’t blame the Danish, strong supporters of Ukraine, for having to finance their expensive F-35s somehow, but why the hell couldn’t a bigger Nato nation step in and secure those planes for the defence against RuSSia? It’s ignorance like this one that prevents a strong response to Putin’s murderous expansionism time and again. The mind boggles about so much strategic shortsightedness and outright incompetence. 🤯
Btw, the largest fleet of F-16 jets, by far, is in the US, of course. Contribution by President Biden, allegedly a friend of Ukraine, to the coalition of Nato countries that want to strengthen the Ukrainian Air Force: ZERO jets! Nada, none, zilch!
The mind boggles, really. 🤯
My words six months long. 🤐
I know, Mike. It’s a mad mad world where guys like us, armed only with publicly available informations and good common sense, outsmart overpraised security advicers like effing Jake Sullivan. Looks like government jobs don’t attract the best and the brightest. 👿
Sure, maybe in 2054.