Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway, which are actively upgrading their air forces to fifth-generation F-35 fighters, plan to transfer up to 160 F-16 units to Ukraine, which have been modernized under the European MLU program to AM/BM versions. The first batch of 6 aircraft from Denmark is expected before the end of May, and subsequent deliveries will continue until the end of 2024, which will allow the formation of up to 5 squadrons. It is expected that in 2025 Ukraine will receive additional F-16s from Belgium, Norway and the rest from Denmark.

11 NATO member countries came out in support of Kyiv, ready not only to provide aircraft and missiles, but also to train pilots and maintain aircraft. Considering that F-16s are significantly different from their Soviet counterparts, retraining Ukrainian pilots may take from 2 to 5 years. In this regard, most of the F-16s are planned to be based not in Ukraine, but in Poland and Romania, where the supporting infrastructure will be deployed.

This decision highlights strategic preparations for conducting air operations over Ukraine and the Black Sea, possibly without the direct involvement of NATO ground forces in the conflict.