Odesa emphasized that Greece would be present in the effort to rebuild and reconstruct Ukraine. Officials hope that pilots will be ready by early 2024 and will begin training this month as part of an 11-nation coalition. Zelenskiy thanked Greece for the offer to assist in the reconstruction of the Odesa city port, particularly by helping to train Ukrainian warplane pilots on F-16s. Speaking at a news conference in Athens in August, Zelenskiy called the promise an important result for the coalition air. Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece, spoke alongside Zelenskiy at a news conference in Athens on August 21st.
It has also provided military material in the form of armored ammunition and personnel carriers. Greece has already joined its EU and NATO partners in strongly backing Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
Zelenskiy is currently in the Greek capital to attend an informal meeting of top European officials and representatives from Balkan countries, where he will engage in talks with the leaders of his country.
The office of Mitsotakis said that Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, would join him for an informal dinner to discuss the future of Western Balkans in the EU, along with top officials from nine Balkan nations.
Moscow stated that the conflict would intensify, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed gratitude towards Danish legislators for their assistance in aiding Kyiv in repelling Russia’s incursion on August 21. Denmark and the Netherlands opted to dispatch F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Addressing Danish lawmakers, President Zelenskiy expressed gratitude to Denmark and the Netherlands for their pledges to deliver F-16s and strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses. He stated that Ukraine is working towards making its defenses more secure and stronger, in response to the threat posed by Russia to all of its neighboring countries, including Ukraine. Zelenskiy highlighted the significant advantage that Russia currently has in the skies over Ukraine and emphasized the need to bolster Ukraine’s dwindling fleet of Soviet-era jets. While the Netherlands and Denmark have agreed to send 42 F-16s, it is yet to be decided whether all of them will be donated to Ukraine. Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands had previously approved the sending of 42 advanced warplanes to Ukraine, and Denmark had also approved the sending of advanced warplanes to Ukraine, as stated by Zelenskiy.
Zelenskiy later informed a sizable outdoor gathering in Copenhagen that “we are certain that Russia will be defeated in this conflict.”
The suggestion made by Denmark to deliver F-16s to Ukraine was announced by NATO members, including both the Netherlands and Denmark, in a joint statement on August 20. However, the statement did not specify the number of aircraft, but mentioned that the training could take place for a duration of four to six months after the end of the year.
Residents of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv gathered at makeshift memorials on August 20 to honor the seven people who died, including a 6-year-old girl named Sofia and a 22-year-old man named Yushchenko Nazar, in a missile strike carried out by the Russians earlier that day.
Deliveries for the aircraft that the Netherlands possesses would be required for training purposes, and the timing relied on the preparedness of Ukrainian crews and infrastructure. Rutte did not specify a quantity or a timeframe. Rutte stated, “The F-16s will not immediately assist with the war effort. It is a long-term commitment from the Netherlands regardless. We aim for them to become active and operational as soon as possible… Not within the next month, as that is unattainable, but hopefully shortly after.” Training for Ukrainian pilots is set to commence this month, as announced by Denmark last week, while Zelenskiy refrained from disclosing the number of Ukrainian pilots to be trained during his visit to the Netherlands. Both the Netherlands and Denmark are part of a Western coalition that is training Ukrainian pilots – initially in Denmark and then in Romania – to operate the advanced F-16 aircraft.
The Danish Ambassador to Russia, Vladimir Barbin, stated on August 21st that Russia continues to engage in military confrontation with Ukraine and has left no other choice but to seek peace through its words and actions. Barbin also mentioned that Denmark has decided to donate F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, which will lead to an escalation of the conflict. Danish Defense Minister, Jensen Ellemann-Jakob, stated on August 21st that the conditions under which weapons will be donated are still being determined. He also mentioned that the F-16s donated by the Netherlands and Denmark can only be used within Ukraine. Last week, the United States authorized the delivery of American-made F-16s to Ukraine.