NATO summit in Washington: The alliance strengthens its support to Ukraine by sending new F-16 fighter jets
During the conference, NATO officials will confirm new economic aid for Zelensky's government and make statements on the country's accession.
NATO heads of state meet at the Washington, D.C. summit.
The NATO summit continues in Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, the heads of defense and diplomacy of the alliance made progress on the Ukraine agenda, one of the organization's most important issues.
In this regard, the alliance has approved the deployment of F-16 fighters to Ukraine. These jets will be operated by pilots from the Ukrainian armed forces, who have been trained by NATO personnel. It has been confirmed that Norway will provide the fighter jets.
Norway joins Denmark and the Netherlands in sending equipment of this caliber to Ukraine. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced that the fighters will be delivered later this year, according to local newspaper Verdens Gang. A total of 86 F-16s have been pledged, although it will take several years to deliver all of them.
The F-16 fighters will complement the air defense systems that President Joe Biden promised for Ukraine on Tuesday. The package is expected to include five air defense batteries, four of which will be Patriot systems. These surface-to-air missile launchers have proven highly effective against the weapons systems used by Russia.
Ukraine's accession to NATO
For the past month, it has been known that Ukraine's accession to the military alliance would be a priority topic at the Washington summit. Such a move is considered an important step in defending Ukraine against future and new aggressions by Russia.
Throughout Wednesday, diplomatic sources told AFP that Ukraine is on an "irreversible path" towards membership in the Atlantic Alliance. It is expected that during the summit, the 32 member countries will reach a consensus on supporting Ukraine's accesion, followed by a public statement.
Over the past month, reports have leaked suggesting that NATO considers the Ukrainian military too corrupt for membership.
New financial aid
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of Norway had anticipated the alliance approving a new aid package for Ukraine totaling up to $100 billion, to be disbursed progressively over five years. However, Stoltenberg has faced challenges in gathering sufficient support for this commitment and there is a possibility that the aid amount may be reduced to $40 billion.
It is expected that the amount of aid will also be confirmed during the Washington summit.
*This is a developing news story.
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