Netherlands, U.K. working on sending F-16 jets to Ukraine

The Netherlands and the United Kingdom are working on an “international coalition” to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, a spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told CNN on Tuesday. Prime Minister Mark Rutte wasn’t available to respond on Wednesday morning, NRC reports.

According to CNN, Rute and Sunak met at the Council of Europe Summit in Iceland to discuss getting the fighter jets to Ukraine and training Ukrainian pilots to operate them. Ukraine has been asking for jets for some time to fight against Russian missile and drone attacks.

On Twitter, Rutte only said that he met with Sunak to discuss "the issues we’re working on together and, of course, about our ongoing joint support for Ukraine in the face of the terrible Russian aggression."

The Netherlands has F-16s in its airforce, but early this year, the Dutch government was still hesitant to provide them to Ukraine. In January, Rutte said he worried the fighter jets would escalate the war.