Netherlands pledges six extra F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

The Dutch government today said it would send Ukraine six additional F-16 fighter jets after cancelling the planned sale of the aircraft to a private contractor, said Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren.

"The Netherlands Ministry of Defence is readying six additional F-16 fighter aircraft for delivery to Ukraine," Ollongren said on social media, adding that those will come in addition to the 18 already pledged.

"Ukraine's 's aerial superiority is essential for countering Russian aggression," the minister said.

In a statement, the ministry said that the planned sale of the six jets to private military aircraft operator Draken International had been cancelled, allowing the government to make the extra pledge to Kyiv.

"The Netherlands has stopped discussions about the possible sale of 6 F-16 fighter aircraft," said the statement. "Both parties have come to the conclusion that the sale and delivery of these F-16s will not take place in the short-term."

Ollongren had previously said the plan was to dispatch the first F-16s to Ukraine this year, once pilot training at a facility in Romania had been completed.