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start the training program in Tucson, but US President Joe Biden maintains that the program only has space for 12 students at a time, three officials told Politico.
President Emmanuel Macron announced June 6 that France would send Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine, a significant increase in his country's direct military support for Kyiv. The French president also said Ukrainians would receive training in France for five to six months as early as this summer, with a target of training 4,500 service personnel.
Individual Western governments are stipulating disparate policies about Ukraine's future use of Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stated on May 28 that Ukraine will only be able to use Belgian-supplied F-16s on the territory of Ukraine.[10] It is unclear from De Croo's statement, however, if Belgium will allow Ukraine to use Belgian-supplied F-16s to conduct strikes on Russian territory from Ukrainian airspace. Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren stated on May 31 that the Netherlands has stipulated no restrictions on Ukraine's use of Dutch-supplied F-16s and that Ukraine can use these F-16s "above or on Russian territory" as long as Ukraine follows Article 51 of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law."[11] Article 51 of the UN Charter notably stipulates that "nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against" a UN member state — a reminder that Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory in the context of the Russian invasion are part of Ukraine's inherent right of self-defense.[12] Continued variations in Western governments' F-16 policies will require Ukraine to track which aircraft Ukrainian forces can and cannot use to conduct certain strikes, complicating Ukraine's ability to plan and conduct aviation operations using F-16s.
The Netherlands will allow the use of F-16s on targets in Russia, and Germany will permit Ukraine to shoot down Russian aircraft with Patriot systems. During her trip to Singapore, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren reassured Kyiv that the 24 F-16 fighter jets the Netherlands intends to donate to Ukraine may be used to strike targets inside Russia. “We would not impose a limitation as was the case with Belgium, where Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has warned Kyiv not to fly the F-16s it gets from his country in Russian airspace.” At the same time, since Friday it has been clear that Ukraine is allowed to use German weapons - to a limited extent - against targets in Russia. The head of the Situation Center for Ukraine at the German Ministry of Defense, Major General Christian Freudig, did not rule out that Ukraine could use the Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems provided by Germany to shoot down planes over Russian territory.
Slovak defense minister says sending fighter jets to Ukraine was 'treason,' files criminal complaint. "Weakening the armed forces in this way, contrary to the constitution, cannot be described in our political dictionary as anything other than treason," Robert Kalinak said in comments reported by the Czech news outlet iROZHLAS.
Netherlands to provide its first F-16s to Ukraine in summer, Dutch minister says. The Netherlands will deliver its first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine already this summer, shortly after Denmark, outgoing Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren said in an interview with European Pravda published on June 12.
Ukrainian MP Oleksandra Ustinova has accused the United States of "deliberately delaying" the training of Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets, potentially leaving Ukraine with an excess of jets but a shortage of trained pilots. Ustinova's comments were published in an article by The Times on June 17.
46 UKRAINE Country Report July 2024 www.intellinews.com