Shortly after the United States authorized Ukrainian pilots to be able to train in F-16 planes, the training can now begin. The Polish Defense Minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, assured that the country is “prepared” for it to take place, after a meeting of defense ministers of the European Union in Brussels.
Before the meeting, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, supported that the training had already begun. “I am glad that F-16 pilot training has finally started in various countries. It will take time, but the sooner the better”, he pointed out, specifying that Poland was among those states. However, the Polish minister qualified when leaving the meeting that the training "has not started", but "they are ready".
For Borrell, the training is positive because it also opens up the possibility of delivering the fighter jets that Kyiv longs for. "It's always the same. When we start discussing it, at first everyone is reticent, and in the end – as happened with the Leopards and now with the F-16s – the decision is made to offer military aid, because it is absolutely necessary for the Ukrainians to continue defending himself”.
Also the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, invited to the meeting, has appreciated that several European countries are willing to start training. "It's a good idea and I support pilot training, because it gives us the opportunity, the chance, to make decisions and deliver the planes later."
Among the coalition of countries that have already been open to training Ukrainian pilots are also Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom. The Hague is coordinating the training and hopes other countries will join. The Danish Foreign Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, assured yesterday that all the preparations could be finished "by the end of June" and the planes could be sent about six months later. Portugal has offered to train pilots.
Borrell also confirmed yesterday that the EU has already delivered 220,000 artillery munitions and 1,300 missiles, a figure that has increased in the last ten days, "a major leap", after initial fears that the shipment of weapons was not fast enough. . The bloc's commitment is to reach one million munitions in 12 months.
