Following a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Greece would join the training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots.
“Today we have an important result for the aviation coalition: Greece will take part in the training of our pilots on F-16s,” Yevpropeiska Pravda reported, citing Zelenskyy’s statement during a press conference in Athens.
Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the Greek Prime Minister for “willingness to help more in protecting our freedom.”
Other countries, including Germany, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, the United Kingdom, US, have also backed the initiative. Their support follows the United States’ crucial statements that it will allow the reexport of F16s to Ukraine, as it produces the F-16 aircraft and is joining the fighter jet coalition.
Zelenskyy: Greece becomes 14th country to join security guarantee declaration for Ukraine
On 18 August, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra confirmed that the US has approved the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine following the completion of pilots’ training.
On 19 August, Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov said Ukrainian pilots have already started training on Western F-16 fighter jets.
Read also:
- Denmark confirms plans to donate 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine (updated)
- Dutch PM Rutte: Netherlands, Denmark commit to deliver F-16 jets to Ukraine
- US says F-16s to be sent to Ukraine after pilot training
- First Ukrainian pilots who undergo F-16 training probably won’t be ready to fly them until next summer – Washington Post