Denmark and the Netherlands will lead the European Union (EU) coalition to train the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to pilot the F-16. This was stated on May 25 at a press conference by Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin.
Following the results of the next meeting of the multinational group created by the West to coordinate the supply of weapons to Ukraine, he noted that the partners discussed plans to train AFU pilots to pilot fourth-generation fighters, including the F-16.
"Planning and implementation of this training will be a serious task, but coordination of this contact group will help to fulfill it. And I want to express special gratitude to Denmark and the Netherlands, who decided to lead the EU coalition to prepare Ukrainian forces for the use of the F-16," he said.
The day before, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that F-16 fighters would become a legitimate target for Russia if they were supplied by the West to Ukraine for fighting in the special operation zone.
On May 23, the Pentagon noted that F-16 deliveries to Ukraine will be carried out in the long term. At the same time, the newspaper Politico wrote that it was the Netherlands that could become the first European country to transfer these military aircraft to Ukraine.
At the same time, military expert Alexei Leonkov said that it would take at least a year and a half to train Ukrainian pilots to work with F-16 fighters. In this regard, there is a high probability that the Polish and Canadian military will be involved in the conflict under the guise of Ukrainian.
The F-16 is an American fighter jet that is in service with many countries. Ukraine has been seeking to receive this aircraft since the beginning of spring, when discussions began on the preparation of a counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
Western countries have increased military and financial support for Ukraine against the background of Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, amid the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
