Within the framework of what will be the future delivery of F-16 fighters to Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands has made public its government’s authorization so that the fighter aircraft can be used to attack military targets. within the territory of Russia. This is an approval constantly requested by the Ukrainian authorities to carry out their defense plans and is not limited to the besieged region of Kharkiv.
The information comes from the recent statements of the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Hanke Bruins Slot, made to the media ANP: “Dutch F-16s may also be deployed against targets in Russia (…) restrictions on the use of fighter jets for Ukraine were never discussed. The principle applies to the F-16 that they can operate on Russian territory if it is in the context of self-defense.”
It should be remembered that the Dutch government had announced the shipment of 24 F-16 Block 10/15 fighters from the inventory of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. A number that originally amounted to only 18 units, but was expanded after the decision not to carry out the sale of another 6 aircraft to the attacker services company Draken International. The force itself has already planned to replace these aircraft with new F-35A stealth fighters purchased from Lockheed Martin.
It should also be kept in mind that the Dutch initiative to deliver F-16 aircraft to Ukraine is not unique to this country, both Denmark and Norway have made available a considerable number of aircraft, which today is estimated at a total of 65 fighters. This is a move that has already had the approval of the US since April of this year, in which an aid package was announced for a total of USD 1,683.5 million, which included spare parts, simulators, manuals and other issues related to their in-service maintenance.
Finally, it is important to note that the lifting of restrictions on the use of Western weapons seems to be an issue addressed by various governments today. Recently, the US has given discreet authorization to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use the weapons they have supplied against Russian territory, with the limitation that it can only be done against troops and material directly involved in the siege of Kharkiv. Along the same lines, Germany has also given a similar authorization that accounts for the trend. Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared on Friday referring to the issue: ““We jointly believe that Ukraine has the right, guaranteed by international law, to defend itself against these attacks.”
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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