Ukraine eyes allies' air defense support, points to cooperation against Iranian attack on Israel

By Muhammed Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) — Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba renewed his country's call for air defense support against Russian strikes, lauding cooperation between Israel and its allies over the weekend in repelling a drone and missile attack by Iran.

"When we talk about repelling missile strikes and drone attacks on Israel, I can only say that, in fact, the joint efforts of Israel and its allies, which, by the way, are also our allies, were very successful," Kuleba said at a joint news conference with his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide in the capital Kyiv, reported state news agency Ukrinform.

He went on to appeal to allies for assistance for his own country, stating: "Even if you cannot act the way you act in Israel, give us what is needed, and we will handle the rest ourselves."

- Norway boosts Ukraine's air capability

Speaking alongside Kuleba, Eide pledged to bolster Ukraine's aerial capabilities by donating F-16 fighter jets.

"We are happy to be contributing to this F-16 fighter jet program, where we will donate Norwegian F-16s which are upgraded and in good shape together with Danish and Dutch," said the Norwegian top diplomat.

Eide pointed to ongoing pilot training and potential future support to bolster Ukraine's capacity for deeper strikes, which he deemed "imperative" for the nation's defense.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring the F-16s are equipped with modern weaponry to maximize their effectiveness.