COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Danish lawmakers on Monday for serving to his nation resist Russia’s invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands introduced they may present Kyiv with American-made F-16 warplanes that may very well be delivered across the finish of the 12 months.
Zelenskyy instructed the lawmakers in Copenhagen that if Russia’s invasion is profitable, different components of Europe could be in danger from the Kremlin’s army aggression.
“All of Russia’s neighbors are below risk if Ukraine doesn’t prevail,” he mentioned in a speech.
Zelenskyy portrays Ukraine as defending Western values of freedom and democracy in opposition to tyranny. He has argued that Ukraine must be correctly provisioned to fend off Russia’s a lot greater drive.
Ukraine has been urgent its Western allies for months to provide it F-16s. Its armed forces are nonetheless utilizing growing old Soviet-era fight planes from the Seventies and ’80s, and its counteroffensive in opposition to Russian positions is advancing with out air assist, which analysts say is a significant handicap.
Zelenskyy mentioned on Telegram that Ukraine would get 42 jets. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, which may very well be delivered across the finish of the 12 months when pilot coaching lasting 4 to 6 months is accomplished.
Nevertheless, getting Ukrainian squadrons battle-ready might take for much longer.
U.S. Air Drive Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa, mentioned final week that he didn’t anticipate the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. Getting F-16 squadrons prepared for battle might take “4 or 5 years,” he mentioned.
Whereas some coaching has already begun for Ukrainian pilots, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte mentioned Sunday it’s simply language classes to date.
Coaching Ukrainian pilots is simply one of many challenges within the anticipated deployment of F-16s. Questions additionally stay over who will perform essential plane upkeep, the availability of spare components, runway upkeep and protecting shelters for the planes on the bottom, and what weapons the West will provide to arm the fighter jets.
Ukrainian air drive spokesman Yuriy Ihnat mentioned the F-16s will assist Ukraine “change the course of occasions” within the struggle.
“Air superiority is the important thing to success on the bottom,” he mentioned in televised remarks.
Denmark rolled out the crimson carpet for Zelenskyy’s journey to Copenhagen. He additionally met on the Christiansborg Palace, the constructing housing the Danish parliament, with Denmark’s 83-year-old figurehead monarch, Queen Margrethe, who returned from trip for the event. Afterward, he addressed the crowds gathered exterior from the parliament steps.
America final week introduced its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to ship the F-16s. That’s wanted as a result of the plane are made in america.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy visited the Netherlands and inspected two grey F-16s parked in a hangar at a Dutch base within the southern metropolis of Eindhoven along with Rutte.
Rutte didn’t present a quantity or timeframe for deliveries, saying it is dependent upon how quickly Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are prepared.
Zelenskyy began his journey Saturday in Sweden, the place he requested Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Sweden has mentioned it’ll enable Ukrainian pilots to check the planes however has not made any commitments at hand them over.
Kristersson mentioned Monday that Sweden wants the Gripen planes for its personal protection, noting that the nation’s bid to affix NATO has not been finalized.
“We don’t rule something out sooner or later,” he instructed the TV4 channel. “We’ll do every part we are able to to assist them additionally with plane. However proper now there are not any new commitments to offer Swedish plane to Ukraine.”
On Monday, Russian air defenses jammed a Ukrainian drone west of Moscow and shot down one other one on the outskirts of the town, Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned.
Two individuals had been injured and one among them was hospitalized when drone fragments fell on a personal home, Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow area, mentioned.
Such drone assaults have change into an nearly day by day incidence in Russia in latest weeks.
Additionally, Russian rail officers mentioned {that a} relay cupboard used to run prepare visitors was set ablaze on the outskirts of Moscow, inflicting delays, in keeping with the state RIA Novosti information company.
Russian authorities have reported a number of comparable incidents throughout the nation, a few of which have been blamed on acts of sabotage inspired by Ukrainian safety companies.
In Ukraine, not less than 4 civilians had been killed and 25 others wounded by the most recent Russian assaults, in keeping with the Ukrainian presidential workplace.
The lifeless included a 71-year-old man killed by Russian shelling within the northeastern Kharkiv area, close to the border with Russia.
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Karl Ritter in Stockholm and Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
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Observe AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine