Dutch Prime Minister Informs Kiev About Decision on Delivery of F-16s to Ukraine

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday that he had informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the government's decision to prepare the first 18 F-16 fighters for the delivery to Ukraine.

Rutte said that he held a phone conversation with Zelensky earlier in the day, adding that they discussed the European Council's decision to launch the country's accession talks with Kiev.

"Today I also informed President Zelenskyy of our government’s decision to prepare an initial 18 F-16 fighter aircraft for delivery to Ukraine. The delivery of F-16s is one of the most important elements of the agreements made on military support for Ukraine," Rutte wrote on X (former Twitter).

However, the anticipated delivery of F-16s to the Kiev regime is unlikely to produce the desired effect Ukraine is so anxiously awaiting.

"The S-400 air defense system uses the 40N6 ultra-long range guided anti-aircraft missile, which is the most advanced in its class in the world and is equipped with a homing head with unique capabilities. Thanks to this missile, the S-400, in conjunction with the A-50U long-range radar detection aircraft, will be able to engage targets over the horizon, including high-speed maneuvering targets at low altitudes," a military source told Sputnik earlier this month.

In early November, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Russian air defense system will need only about 20 days to shoot down all the F-16s that the Ukrainian military will receive.