The Ukrainian president thanked the Danes on Monday for helping Ukraine resist a Russian invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they would supply Kiev with F-16 fighter jets.
In a speech before Parliament in Copenhagen, Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed that other parts of Europe would be in danger if Russia managed to invade Ukraine.
“All of Russia’s neighbors are threatened if Ukraine does not prevail,” he told the Danish lawmakers, quoted by the US agency AP.
Since the start of the war 18 months ago, Zelensky has portrayed Ukraine as upholding Western values of freedom and democracy that must be adequately armed to resist Russia’s invasion.
Ukraine has been pressing Western allies for several months to supply it with US-made F-16s.
Ukrainian forces continue to use Soviet-era fighter jets and the counteroffensive launched in June is proceeding without air support, which analysts say is a major handicap.
Zelensky announced on social media that Ukraine will receive 42 F-16 fighters.
Denmark promised 19 planes, which could be delivered by the end of the year, when pilot training is complete, which will last between four and six months.
However, preparing the Ukrainian squadrons for combat could take “four or five years”, the commander of the US air forces in Europe and Africa, General James Hecker, admitted last week.
In the Danish parliament, Zelensky acknowledged that it had been difficult to convince the Western allies to agree to supply kyiv with fighter jets.
He also mentioned the weapons donated by Denmark and thanked the Danes for their treatment of the Ukrainian refugees and their participation in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
He also said that Denmark is helping to pay pensions and other social benefits to Ukrainians who stayed in Ukraine and who are suffering the economic consequences of the Russian military invasion.
“Thank you, thank you very much, Denmark, on behalf of all Ukrainians, for all the help given to Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying by the Spanish news agency EFE.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen highlighted the country’s almost unanimous support for Ukraine, which she described as “unprecedented” in Danish politics.
“If you look in this room, you will see people who have worked hard to find ways to help Ukraine and the people of Ukraine,” the Danish leader said, addressing Zelensky’s entourage.
“And there are many more in Denmark with the same conviction that Ukraine must win this war,” he added.
Zelensky thanked Frederiksen for being one of the first European leaders to visit kyiv after the invasion on February 24, 2022, an event that “will go down in Ukrainian history.”
Zelensky began a European tour on Saturday that took him to Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Speaking to Danish media on Monday, Zelensky said he would travel from Copenhagen to another European country for another “very important meeting” for Ukraine’s interests.
Source: TSF
