Norway to 'donate' US-made F-16 jets to Ukraine: Norwegian Prime Minister
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store says Norway will "donate" F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, becoming the third country after Denmark and the Netherlands to pledge the US-made warplanes to Kiev.
Confirming earlier media reports, Store on Thursday said Oslo would certainly send the American single-engine supersonic warplanes but the details of the donation would be announced later.
"We are planning to donate Norwegian F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, and will provide further details about the donation, numbers and time frame for delivery, in due course," he said in a statement.
The announcement came as the Norwegian premier made a surprise visit to Kiev on Thursday - Independence Day in Ukraine.
The ex-Soviet republic views the F-16 warplanes as vital to the success of efforts to drive Russian troops from Ukraine's territory in a grinding counteroffensive that has proceeded slowly since its launch in early June.
Norway has officially 57 F-16 jets up for sale, of which, 32 have already been sold to Romania, and up to 12 have been purchased by the US group Draken International, but have not yet been delivered.
Norwegian news agency NTB said in a report that the latter transaction has been canceled.
Late at the weekend, Denmark and the Netherlands announced that they would provide Ukraine with a number of F-16 fighter jets. Six of the promised jets will initially be delivered around New Year.
The announcement by Copenhagen and The Hague came a few days after the United States approved the delivery of the multirole fighter aircraft to Kiev.
Furthermore, Oslo said on Thursday that it would provide Kiev with Iris-T anti-air missiles, demining equipment, and a 1.5 billion kroner ($141 million) aid package for the purchase of gas and electricity this winter.
Besides Store, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa, and Bosnia and Herzegovina's President Zeljko Komsic showed their support.
Since Russia began military operations in early 2022 against Ukraine for its move to align with NATO, the United States has provided Kiev with more than $47 billion in military aid.
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