The Netherlands and Denmark have said they will definitely give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine once conditions for the transfer have been met, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Sunday as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited his country.
While the transfer is unlikely to alter the battlefield it is an important political statement of commitment. It also integrates the Ukrainian air force with NATO systems and allows them to use the same ordnance without modification. The aircraft data links can connect to ground based systems such as Patriot which should improve defense against Russian cruise missile attacks. But the planes lack stealth capability and are highly vulnerable to Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft batteries. So no game-changer but welcome nevertheless.