Ukraine Receives Major News on Game-Changing Weapons

The Netherlands on Friday announced it will deliver 18 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to aid in its defense against Russian President Vladimir Putin's invading forces.

Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands, revealed the news in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), in which he said he had informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of his government's decision on the jets.

Government and military officials from both Kyiv and the United States have cited the "game-changing" potential F-16s could bring to Zelensky's forces. Zelensky had long sought the jets, but President Joe Biden had initially resisted his requests before agreeing in May that NATO allies could provide Ukraine with F-16s and teach Ukrainian pilots how to fly them.

In August, the Netherlands and Denmark became the first countries to pledge F-16s to Ukraine before Belgium and Norway later said they would also donate donate some of the their F-16s to Kyiv's forces. Last month, Romania opened a military center to train Ukrainian pilots on how to fly F-16s.

"The delivery of F-16s is one of the most important elements of the agreements made on military support for Ukraine," Rutte said in his X message. "This decision confirms the Netherlands' undiminished commitment to providing Ukraine with the support it needs to respond to the ongoing Russian aggression."

Rutte did not give a timeline for delivery of the jets, but he noted an export permit and "a number of other criteria" must first be met before the F-16s can be deployed to Ukraine.

Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday via email for comment.

Currently, Ukraine has used Soviet-era MiG and Sukhoi aircraft against Russian forces, but military experts say newer, more advanced F-16s would provide Zelensky's troops with a considerable upgrade.

Zelensky wrote on X that he had thanked the Netherlands for the jets while adding he discussed other developments related to the war with Rutte.

"I spoke with @MinPres Mark Rutte to thank the Dutch government for its decision to start preparing the initial 18 F-16 jets for their delivery to Ukraine," the Ukrainian leader wrote. "I also thanked the Netherlands for actively supporting the opening of Ukraine's EU accession talks and emphasized the importance of providing €50 billion in long-term EU assistance for Ukraine as soon as possible."

He added: "We discussed frontline developments, the situation in the Black Sea, and Ukraine's current military needs, including artillery, drones, and air defense.

"We agreed to continue our joint work on security guarantees following the G7 Vilnius Declaration. We also discussed the next Peace Formula meeting and efforts to further consolidate international support for the Ukrainian vision of a just peace."