At the extraordinary meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council, the Allies provided a favorable evaluation of the preparations for deploying F-16 fighter jets in the country. Nataliia Halibarenko, Head of Ukraine’s Mission to NATO, shared this information during a virtual briefing with Ukrainian media, as reported by Ukrinform on 10 January.
Ukrainian pilots are undergoing F-16 fighter jet training in both the US and the EU, as preparations for the arrival of the F-16s in 2024 include the readiness of airfields in Ukraine. Equipped with US-made F-16s, Ukraine aspires to achieve air superiority over the Russian Aerospace Forces in Ukrainian skies.
“Among the countries participating in the F-16 Coalition, there was a discussion of where we are today. Basically, everything is going according to schedule. The training and preparation of pilots, maintenance staff, language training, and infrastructure preparation continues, that is, there were positive evaluations in this regard,” the diplomat said.
She underscored the political importance of the current Ukraine-NATO Council meeting, noting the upcoming discussions on financial assistance at the 1 February European Council meeting and the mid-February NATO defense ministerial with the associated Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, known as the Ramstein Format Meeting.
A special ambassadorial-level meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council took place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 10 January, initiated by Ukraine in response to Russia’s extensive missile and drone attacks.
Ukrainian representatives briefed the allies on the aftermath of Russia’s extensive missile attacks on the territory of Ukraine, outlining changes in Russia’s tactical maneuvers and highlighting Ukraine’s crucial air defense needs.
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