The Ukrainian president said earlier that a similar decision was made by the Greek authorities
MOSCOW, August 24. /tass/. Portugal is ready to take part in the training program for Ukrainian pilots on American F-16 fighters. This was stated by the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky at a press conference in Kiev with his Portuguese counterpart Marcel Rebelo de Souza.
"Today Portugal confirmed its readiness to join the training of Ukrainian pilots and engineers on F-16 aircraft," the Ukrinform news agency quotes Zelensky as saying.
On August 21, the Ukrainian president said that the Greek authorities had made a similar decision.
A day earlier, Zelensky spoke about a "breakthrough agreement" with Amsterdam on the supply of 42 F-16 fighters to Kiev. Denmark also announced its readiness to transfer 19 F-16 fighters to Ukraine, the first 6 aircraft will arrive before the end of this year. Denmark and the Netherlands have already announced the training of Ukrainian pilots, in which nine more countries will help them. In July, Acting Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced that training would begin in August at Skridstrup in southern Jutland. According to the plans, it will take at least six months.
Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, commenting on the decision on the transfer of fighter jets by the West to Ukraine, said that European countries need "not to play with airplanes." The Russian side has repeatedly stressed that the West's sending of weapons to Kiev and assistance in training the Ukrainian military only prolong the conflict and will not change the situation on earth.