Taken together, the moves are a strong show of support for Kiev ahead of a planned counteroffensive that Ukrainians hope will recapture more territory captured by Russia. Moscow has been bombarding Ukraine with missiles in recent weeks, but Kiev has been successful in countering the attacks with newly received Western air defenses such as the Patriot missile system.
Countries that have flown the F-16 for decades, such as Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, have indicated they will participate in the training program, while Norway is also considering lending a hand. All NATO countries are in the process of switching over to the F-35 and have sold their aging F-16s to third countries like Romania who are desperate to upgrade their Soviet-era aircraft.
So far, none of the countries, including the United States, has committed to sending F-16s to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy, fresh off a tour of European capitals this week that included a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia to rally support for his country’s war effort, used the long journey to put on a very public show of stability and calm as the The war progresses, with its front lines largely stable and its troops preparing for fresh assaults on entrenched Russian positions.
