Ukraine Showcases First F-16 Jets Donated by Allies

(Patria) - President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday presented the first American F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine has received from NATO allies. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have pledged to deliver more than sixty F-16s to bolster Ukraine's air defense after the United States gave the green light last year, AP reported.

The newly arrived Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets were displayed on Sunday by President Zelensky, who said the planes would enhance the country's war efforts against Russia.

"These planes are in our sky, and you see them today," he said, standing in front of two fighter jets as two others flew overhead in close formation. "It's good that they are here and that we can use them."

Ukraine is also trying to enlist neighboring countries to help defend against Russian missiles, Zelensky said.

"This decision is likely difficult for our partners, as they always fear unnecessary escalation," the Ukrainian president said. "We will work on it... I think we have a good option of the NATO-Ukraine Council... so that NATO countries can discuss with Ukraine the possibility of a small coalition of neighboring countries to shoot down enemy missiles."

The event was held under tight security at an undisclosed location to protect the fighter jets from Russian attacks.

"From the beginning of this war, we have been discussing with our partners the need to protect our Ukrainian sky from Russian missiles and Russian aircraft," Zelensky said.

"Now we have a new reality in our sky. F-16s are in Ukraine. We have achieved this. I am proud of our guys who are mastering these planes and have already started using them for our country. ... Our combat aviation will bring us closer to victory."

Ukraine might keep some of the F-16 fighter jets at foreign bases to protect them from Russian attacks, a senior Ukrainian military official said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow might consider launching attacks on facilities in NATO countries if warplanes used in Ukraine are located there.

The American F-16 is an iconic fighter jet that has been a front-line fighter for the NATO alliance and numerous air forces around the world for fifty years. Although new to Ukraine, the F-16s are actually older aircraft donated by Ukraine's Western allies. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have pledged to provide Ukraine with more than sixty of them in the coming months, which could be a slow delivery. Zelensky did not say how many F-16s had arrived in Ukraine or from which countries they came.

U.S. President Joe Biden gave the green light in August 2023 for used F-16s to be deployed to Ukraine, although the U.S. will not provide any of its own aircraft.

The F-16 will increase Ukraine's military power, especially by improving its air defense. But analysts say they will not turn the tide of the war on their own.