Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked Danish lawmakers for serving to his nation resist Russia’s invasion
ByJAN M. OLSEN Related Press
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s First Woman Olena Zelenska, left, are welcomed by speaker of the Danish Parliament, Soeren Gade in entrance of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen, Monday Aug. 21, 2023. (Claus Bech/Ritzau Scanpix through AP)
The Related Press
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Danish lawmakers on Monday for serving to his nation resist Russia’s invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands introduced they’ll present Kyiv with American-made F-16 warplanes.
Zelenskyy stated that if Russia’s invasion is profitable, different elements of Europe could be in danger from the Kremlin’s army aggression.
“All of Russia’s neighbors are below menace if Ukraine doesn’t prevail,” he stated in a speech in Copenhagen.
Zelenskyy portrays Ukraine as defending Western values of freedom and democracy towards tyranny and argues that Ukraine must be correctly provisioned to fend off Russia’s a lot larger pressure.
Ukraine has been urgent its Western allies for months to grant it F-16s. Its armed forces are nonetheless utilizing ageing Soviet-era fight planes, and its counteroffensive towards Russian positions is advancing with out air assist in what analysts say is a significant handicap.
Zelenskyy stated on Telegram that Ukraine would get 42 jets. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, which could possibly be delivered across the finish of the 12 months when pilot coaching lasting 4 to 6 months is accomplished.
Nonetheless, getting Ukrainian squadrons battle prepared may take for much longer. U.S. Air Pressure Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa, stated final week that he didn’t anticipate the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. Getting F-16 squadrons prepared for battle may take “4 or 5 years,” he stated.
Different points which might be nonetheless not clear are what sort of weapons the F-16s will carry and the way the plane will likely be maintained in Ukraine.
The USA introduced final week its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to ship the F-16s. Its blessing for the airplane donations to different nations is required as a result of the plane are made in the US.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy visited the Netherlands and inspected two grey F-16s parked in a hangar at a Dutch base within the southern metropolis of Eindhoven along with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Rutte didn’t present a quantity or timeframe for deliveries, saying it is determined by how quickly Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are prepared.
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