Military

Norway to Provide F-16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Norwegian government has decided to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, Norwegian broadcaster reported on Thursday, citing sources.
Sputnik
The broadcaster said that several separate sources confirmed the decision by the Norwegian government. Norway would reportedly be the third NATO country after the Netherlands and Denmark to provide the jets to Ukraine.
Last week, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a letter to his European counterparts in Denmark and the Netherlands with the formal approval of a third-party transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. He added that the transfer of jets would follow the completion of Ukrainian pilots' training.
On Monday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Denmark would sent 19 F-16s to Kiev, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Netherlands had pledged to supply another 42. During a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens, Zelenskyy also said that Greece had offered to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets.
Analysis
‘Voila, We Have Air Power’? F-16 Transfers to Ukraine Will Take Years to Produce Results
The United States and its NATO allies are creating risks of direct confrontation with Russia, and this could lead to catastrophic consequences, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, adding that Moscow will consider delivery of nuclear-capable F-16s to Kiev as a threat from the West.
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