The Dutch Minister of Defense, Kajsa Ollongren, confirmed that the 24 F-16 fighter jets that the Netherlands will provide to Ukraine can be used to strike targets on Russian territory.
This information was reported by Politico.
Ollongren emphasized that the Netherlands will not impose restrictions similar to those of Belgium, where Prime Minister Alexander De Croo cautioned Kyiv against flying the F-16s they receive from Belgium into Russian airspace.
“There is no Belgium-style restriction. We apply the same principle we have applied to every other supply of forces and means, namely: once we hand them over to Ukraine, they can use them,” Ollongren stated.
She added that Amsterdam only asks Ukraine to adhere to international law and the right to self-defense as stated in the UN Charter, “which means they will use it to strike military targets they need for self-defense.”
Since the onset of Russia’s large-scale invasion, Western countries supplying weapons to Ukraine had restricted their use to defensive purposes on Ukrainian territory. However, following a new Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, Western partners have reconsidered their policies.
The United States and Germany have permitted the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use their weapons to strike Russian territory, but only within the border areas of the Kharkiv region. Subsequently, the US clarified that this permission also applies to the Sumy region.
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