The training of Ukrainian pilots on US-made F-16 fighter jets is to begin in Romania in August, officials said on Tuesday evening on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania.
The Netherlands and Denmark are leading an 11-nation coalition to train Ukrainian pilots on the Western fighter jets, which Ukraine argues will help turn the tide of the war in its favour.
The effort was launched in May at the G7 summit in Japan - but the training does not mean that F-16s will actually be delivered. Not one country has committed to sending them to Ukraine so far.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced the Romania training programme alongside Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren and Denmark's acting defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
Resnikov told reporters he hopes the training will last no longer than six months and by that point Ukraine will be using the combat aircraft in its fight to beat back Russia's invasion.
Romania had announced last week that it intended to set up a F-16 training centre for military pilots from NATO partner states and Ukraine.
Germany is not part of the 11-member coalition. The Bundeswehr does not have F-16s and at the moment Germany is heavily involved in the delivery and training for other weapons systems such as battle tanks, artillery and air defence equipment.
"They have a very good expertise with the tank coalition as a leader. So I hope they are going to join this coalition as well," Resnikov said of Germany.
