Ukraine may attack Russia with Dutch F-16s

Ukraine may use F-16s donated by the Netherlands this summer to attack Russian targets in the context of self-defense.

Limitations “never discussed”

The country does not need permission from the United States to do so. The United States initially blocked the delivery of 24 American-made F-16 aircraft. According to Hanke Bruins-Sloat, the outgoing Foreign Minister, restrictions on where Ukraine might deploy aircraft “were never discussed.” Belgium announced that the Americans did not place any restrictions on the use of the devices. “The principle applies to F-16s, which is that you may operate on Russian territory if it is in the context of self-defense,” Bruins-Sloat said later with his NATO colleagues in Prague. number. The Netherlands therefore binds Ukraine to international law, which means that the country may not attack civilian targets in Russia.

More support for Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, was in Brussels last Tuesday to press for the weapons. The city of Kharkiv, located in the northeast of the country, is currently witnessing intense fighting. In Brussels, Zelensky stressed the importance of using weapons as he pleases. The United States is said to have previously given Ukraine permission to use weapons it supplied against Russian targets around Kharkiv. Germany also joined. A spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “We are all convinced that Ukraine has the right, guaranteed by international law, to defend itself against these attacks.” With the arrival of the F-16s, Ukraine will have more power to attack Russia, although much remains unclear. For example, Ukraine itself is unlikely to have a suitable base from which to fly F-16s. The aircraft will be considered for take-off from a neighboring country, but only if that country is part of NATO This raises questions About the way you participate in the conflict.