F-16 jets being sent to Ukraine from Denmark, Netherlands: Blinken

New Delhi, July 11: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that US-built F-16 jets are in the process of being transferred to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands, reported the BBC.

This marks the first time Ukraine will receive these advanced aircraft, a long-standing request from Kyiv. Blinken announced at a recent summit that the jets will be operational "this summer."

In addition to the aircraft transfer, NATO members have agreed to establish a new unit to coordinate military aid and training for the Ukrainian army. This initiative is part of broader measures to deepen ties between the alliance and Ukraine. A joint statement from the NATO summit emphasized that these measures, combined with aid commitments from individual members, "constitute a bridge to Ukraine's membership in NATO."

The statement noted that Ukraine has made "concrete progress" on "required democratic, economic, and security reforms" in recent months. However, a formal invitation for NATO membership will only be extended once "conditions are met." The statement added, "As Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership."

The ongoing invasion of Ukraine was a top agenda item at NATO's summit. A declaration agreed upon by all members identified Russia as "the most significant and direct threat" to security. It also accused China of being a "decisive enabler" for Russia's war against Ukraine, prompting an angry response from Beijing's mission to the EU, which called on NATO to "stop hyping up the so-called China threat, and provoking confrontation and rivalry."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the NATO summit, meeting with various world leaders, including his first meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Sir Keir assured Zelensky there would be "no change in support" for Ukraine's war effort despite the new government in London. Zelensky also met with US politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties to bolster cross-party support for Ukraine, following a stand-off in Congress earlier this year that delayed a large military aid package.

“We reaffirm that we will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met. The Summit decisions by NATO and the NATO-Ukraine Council, combined with Allies’ ongoing work, constitute a bridge to Ukraine’s membership in NATO,” the declaration stated.

President Joe Biden opened the NATO meeting with brief public remarks, emphasizing the urgency of maintaining defence production parity with Russia. “Right now, Russia is on a wartime footing with regard to defence production,” Biden said. “… We cannot, in my view, allow the alliance to fall behind.” Biden also delivered remarks at NATO’s 75th-anniversary event, declaring the alliance “more powerful than ever.”

Despite these commitments, there may be some disappointment in Kyiv due to the lack of a clear timeline for Ukraine's full membership in NATO. The summit, marking the alliance's 75-year anniversary, comes months ahead of an election that could see NATO critic Donald Trump return to the White House, amidst ongoing political challenges for US President Joe Biden.