Germany has rejected to participate in the international coalition agreement to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets or pilot training. The decision was made after a summit of European leaders in Reykjavik, where Britain announced it was working with the Netherlands to establish an international coalition with the aim of assisting Ukraine in acquiring F-16 jets from allied nations.
However, the coalition started to crumble the day after it was announced, with the spokesperson for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte denying that a concrete agreement had been made. On May 17, 2023, the German defense ministry stated that while the country had “a positive view of the Dutch-British push to form a fighter jet coalition for Ukraine,
Its focus will remain on providing tanks, ammunition, and equipment repairs. The head of the parliamentary defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, agreed that German jets are not suitable for operation in Ukrainian airspace.
Despite ruling out the direct aircraft supply, the country recently approved Poland’s request to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era jets left over from the communist East German army’s inventory. It was also reported that The United States is reluctant to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine due to the substantial cost associated with the provision of these aircraft and concerns that the introduction of more advanced weaponry in the region could provoke Moscow to intensify its attacks.