The Biden administration has greenlighted the delivery of American F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from the Netherlands and Denmark, going against the president’s previous stance where he linked such actions to triggering “World War III.”
This assurance by Washington was warmly welcomed by Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, who announced on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, “We welcome Washington’s decision to pave the way for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.” That sentiment was echoed by Danish defense minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, noting that providing the fighter jets “is a natural next step after training.”
Dutch Confirm U.S. Approval for Delivery of F-16s to Ukraine https://t.co/dzlse4NUlJ
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) August 18, 2023
The swift approval is particularly significant considering Ukraine’s long-standing request for the U.S.-made F-16s to counter Russian air superiority. The training for Ukrainian pilots on these jets is set to commence later this month in Denmark as part of an international coalition effort. Both NATO members, Denmark and the Netherlands, spearhead initiatives to train pilots and support staff to enhance Ukraine’s aerial defense against Russian aggression.
This move, however, doesn’t align with Biden’s prior statements on the matter. In 2022, he firmly declared that sending U.S. jets to Ukraine would lead to “World War III,” rejecting Poland’s proposition to transfer 28 Soviet-designed MiG-29s. Just a few months ago, when probed about potentially sending F-16s to Ukraine, President Biden’s response was a curt “no.”
Hello there, World War 3
Biden sends F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine despite saying this would lead to World War 3 https://t.co/v1xD0dFxWp
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) August 18, 2023
Yet, Kyiv’s persistent push, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has played a role in this decision. After rounds of negotiations and growing pressures, the Biden administration conceded to Ukraine’s requests. This is not the first time the U.S. has shown its support, either. Ukrainian fighter pilots honed their skills on F-16 simulators in Arizona as early as March. By May, Biden had approved sending F-16s to Ukraine from G7 allies.
However, as history has shown, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Russia perceives this as an escalation by the U.S. and its allies in the ongoing conflict. The pressing question is, with these F-16s eventually entering Ukrainian airspace and the U.S. continuing its support, how will this geopolitical chess match evolve?
Senior Ukrainian officials close to Zelenskyy have expressed gratitude and optimism over the decision. Andriy Yermak said in May, “We need F-16s, and I am grateful to our allies for their decision to work in this direction, including training our pilots.”
The journey ahead for Ukraine remains uncertain, with officials mentioning that the F-16s won’t be operational this autumn and winter. There are also considerations about the jets’ effectiveness against Russia’s air defense systems and the contested skies over Ukraine. But one thing’s for sure: this latest move by the U.S. administration has reshuffled the deck, and the world will be watching closely as the next moves play out.
