UK, Netherlands agree to build 'international coalition' to help Ukraine acquire fighter jets

During talks with his Dutch counterpart, British premier 'reiterates his belief that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO,' says statement

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte have agreed "to work to build an international coalition" to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, the British government said Tuesday.

In a statement, the UK Prime Minister's Office said that Sunak and Rutte discussed international support for Ukraine while Sunak also spoke about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK on Monday.

"The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Rutte agreed that they would work to build an international coalition to provide Ukraine with combat air capabilities, supporting with everything from training to procuring F-16 jets," said the statement.

During their talks, Sunak reiterated his belief that "Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO," the statement noted, adding the two leaders also agreed on the importance of allies providing long-term security assistance to Ukraine "to guarantee they can deter against future attacks."

On Monday, Zelenskyy paid a surprise visit to London after a tour of Western Europe that took in Rome, Berlin and Paris.

It marked his second UK visit since the beginning of Russia's war after he also paid an unannounced visit to the UK in February.

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