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UK, Netherlands are working to procure F-16 fighters for Ukraine, Downing Street says

17 May 2023 10:47 (UTC +04:00)

Britain and the Netherlands are working on an “international coalition” to help Ukraine procure F-16 fighter jets that Kyiv says are vital to its defense, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Tuesday, APA reports citing CNN.

The two NATO allies are trying to get the US-made warplanes to Ukraine as well as training Kyiv’s pilots to fly them, according to the Downing Street readout following a meeting between Sunak and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the Council of Europe Summit in Iceland.

Britain does not have F-16s in its air force, but the Netherlands and Belgium do. The US Air Force has almost 800 F-16s in its fleet.