August 17, 2023

The Biden administration has formally approved the transfer of F-16 training materials to Denmark, allowing Ukrainian pilots to begin training on the long-anticipated fighter jets, according to two U.S officials.

At the same time, the U.S. this week provided written assurances to Denmark and the Netherlands promising to “expedite” the approval of all necessary transfer requests so that the aircraft can be sent to the battlefield as soon as the pilots are trained to use them, according to one of the U.S. officials and a State Department spokesperson.

“This way, Ukraine can take full advantage of its new capabilities as soon as the first set of pilots complete their training,” said the official, who was also familiar with the letter. Reuters previously reported the U.S. assurances of a speedy approval.

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