Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets to fly 'this summer'

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy examines F-16 in Belgium — The U.S. and NATO allies have "steadily moved toward providing more advanced weapons to Ukraine" as its war with Russia drags on

(Image credit: Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP via Getty Images)

What happened

NATO members have begun sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, the White House said Wednesday. The initial shipment of the American-made planes, long sought by Kyiv, are being transferred from Denmark and the Netherlands and "will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said as NATO leaders met in Washington for a 75th anniversary summit.

Who said what

The high-tech fighter jets "bring just and lasting peace closer" and demonstrate that "terror must fail everywhere and at any time," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, thanking the NATO nations for planes.

The transfer, initially approved in May 2023, follows this week's deadly bombing of a Ukrainian children's hospital, an attack "some observers said was Russian President Vladimir Putin's message to the NATO alliance," Politico said. Conversely, The Washington Post said, the F-16 deliveries, combined with a separate announcement that powerful U.S. long-range missile systems will be deployed in Germany in 2026, "seemed designed in part to capture Russia's attention." The U.S. and its NATO allies have "steadily moved toward providing more advanced weapons to Ukraine" as its war with Russia drags into a third year, The Wall Street Journal said.

What next?

Kyiv anticipates fielding at least "60 F-16s eventually," the Post said, "with a host of nations banding together to provide pilot training, weapons and logistical support."

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Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.