Zelenskyy stated that the F-16s transferred to Ukraine are insufficient to guarantee safety in the sky

Zelenskyy stated that the F-16s transferred to Ukraine are insufficient to guarantee safety in the sky

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the current number of F-16 fighters, which Ukraine has received from partners, is not sufficient to ensure air security.

The head of state said this during a press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

"When we talk about F-16 aircraft, we are extremely grateful to all partners for their coordination and for the fact that we have such an air fleet. Or rather, the beginning of it, as we do not yet have the full complement of aircraft we need. But we know that these aircraft... well, there are not enough of them to guarantee our safety in the sky. There is a certain number we need, and I am not ready to talk about it yet," he explained.

According to Zelenskyy, security guarantees should be similar to NATO’s Article 5, meaning by analogy with the Alliance’s article on collective defense.

The head of state also emphasized that the issue of security guarantees is also a matter of funding the Armed Forces of Ukraine, "precisely of such size and quality" of the Ukrainian military that will ensure protection for Ukraine.

"Much of this is based on our interaction with partners, on our cooperation with NATO, which we have already achieved. The Ukrainian army as a whole, our defense and security infrastructure, are very seriously integrated into the Alliance’s system. There is a lot of bilateral cooperation with members of the bloc. And we will definitely continue all practical levels of our interaction with NATO," the president concluded.