Netherlands allows Ukraine to strike Russian territory with its F-16s

Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren (Getty Images)

Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren assures that Ukraine can use 24 F-16 fighter jets that the Netherlands will provide to strike targets in Russia, reports Politico.

According to her, the Netherlands will not impose restrictions, as Belgium did. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo warned Kyiv against flying F-16 fighters that it will receive from his country in Russian airspace.

"There is not a Belgian-style restriction. We are applying the same principle that we have applied to every other delivery of capabilities, which is once we hand it over to Ukraine, it’s theirs to use," Ollongren said.

She adds that Amsterdam is only asking Ukraine to comply with international law and the right to self-defense as stated in the UN Charter, "which means they use it to target the military goals they need to target in their self-defense."

Authorizing Ukraine to strike at Russia

Since the beginning of Russia's large-scale invasion, Western countries that have been supplying weapons to Ukraine have limited their use to defending only within Ukrainian territory. However, after Russia's new offensive in the Kharkiv region, Western partners revised their policy.

The United States and Germany allowed the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use their weapons to strike at Russian territory, but only within the border areas of the Kharkiv region. Later, the US clarified that this authorization also applied to the Sumy region.

France gave the green light for Ukrainian troops to strike Russian airfields in the Kursk and Belgorod regions with Scalp missiles.