Speaking to RFE/RL, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the front-runner to be the next secretary-general of NATO, said Dutch plans to transfer US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine were “basically on schedule.” He made these remarks after a meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the Munich Security Conference.

Ukraine aims to use F-16 fighter jets to counter Russia’s air superiority at the frontline. The dense air defenses prevent Russian aircraft from operating behind lines in Ukraine-controlled territory, but they maintain an edge with longer-range radars and air-launched missiles and bombs. By deploying F-16s, which are superior to their current Soviet-era aircraft, Ukraine hopes to push Russian aircraft further from the front.

“We hope to transfer [the F-16s] as soon as possible. Twenty-four of them, maybe more, but at least 24. We are working together with the Danes and others. So, things are progressing now,” Rutte told RFE/RL.

Earlier, the two leaders discussed further military support for Ukraine with the country’s need for air defense and artillery and the activities of the international aviation coalition, according to the Ukrainian President’s website.

The Dutch PM told RFE/RL that EU nations are “working with our partners all over the globe” to address Ukraine’s military needs, focusing on supplying Kyiv with ammunition and air-defense systems.