Delivery of F-16s to Ukraine is rapidly approaching: ‘It is very sensitive’ | Politics

It is well known that Ukraine has been asking for modern (read: Western) fighter planes for months. But now the delivery of F-16s seems to be getting closer step by step, although this is not being discussed aloud in the Netherlands.

In fact, a shock wave went through several ministries on Tuesday evening when the French newspaper Le monde reported that Prime Minister Mark Rutte had agreed in a meeting with his British colleague Rishi Sunak in Reykjavik that the two countries would set up a ‘jet fighter coalition’ together. Downing Street went further in a statement: the two countries would work together to provide Ukraine with “air combat capabilities,” including “training and supply” of F-16s. Special detail: the UK itself has no F-16s to give away.

Although military experts do not exclude that Ukrainian pilots have long been trained in the deepest secrecy, after the British, the French and Belgians also immediately promised training for Ukrainian pilots. President Volodymyr Zelensky responded with joy in his daily speech: “A good start, thank you everyone!”

In The Hague, eyebrows were raised. What was agreed? The Ministry of Defense – which now has 24 F-16s in its fleet, the rest has already been sold – asked for clarification from the Rutte ministry and learned that the situation was still the same as during Zelensky’s visit to the Netherlands on May 4 . Rutte then repeated that there are “no taboos”.

Behind the scenes it becomes clear that something has indeed changed. From a somewhat wait-and-see attitude in the peloton of allies of Ukraine, the Netherlands and the UK have demarcated to the leading group. Although, according to the Government Information Service (RVD), ‘no concrete agreements’ have been made about the ‘purchase or delivery’ of F-16s, the Netherlands and the UK will indeed ‘act together’ according to insiders and this can be called ‘building a coalition’. .

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But Deputy Prime Minister Wopke Hoekstra, who replaced Rutte at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, does not want to say anything about it in public. “This is very sensitive,” he said. “Everything is being listened in, especially by Russia.” There is, however, “very intensive contact” with allies. But: he can only talk about that “when the whole route has been run”. “Going out earlier is not wise, given all the sensitivities.”

Those sensitivities are indeed there. For a long time, the F-16 was seen as a red line; a weapon system that the allies would not supply to Ukraine anyway. With everything that has been delivered so far, the argument has been that Ukraine had to use it to defend itself. With a fighter jet, with a range of 2,700 kilometers (without refueling), targets in Russia can in theory also be bombarded – with the risk of escalation.

There are fears that Russia could blame any such attack on its own soil on countries that supplied the F-16s. With reprisals for – for example – the Netherlands as a result. Although Hoekstra emphasizes that the Netherlands has previously supplied weapon systems with armored howitzers and surface-to-air missiles that Ukraine could use to launch attacks in Russia itself. In other words: according to Hoekstra, the Netherlands has ‘crossed the bridge before’. In addition, the supply of tanks was also impossible for a long time, but now the first tanks are already rolling over the Ukrainian black earth. The longer the war lasts, the more ‘red lines’ move.

That also seems to be happening with the F-16s. Although the international coalition that is currently being built is missing an important building block: the United States. The F-16 is an American-made aircraft. When countries that have F-16s want to deliver to Ukraine, American permission is required. Without President Biden’s approval, the desired fighter jets will not come in Zelensky’s direction, no matter how hard Rutte and Sunak pull the cart.

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