The commander of the Armed Forces of the Netherlands Onno Eichelsheim has said that Ukraine are allowed to use their F-16s inside the Russian Federation.
This will anger the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin as the war is escalating on Russian territory and will scupper plans for the Russian military to make advances in the Kursk region to push back Ukrainian forces.
During a visit to the US Eichelsheim said, “We have not imposed any restrictions on the use and range of the F-16s, provided that the law of war is observed.
“Ukraine can use the resources we supply as it wishes, provided that it adheres to the humanitarian law of war.”
Read more related news:
UK warned Putin ‘is coming for us’ and we must prepare ‘for the inevitable’
The US partly agree with the decision made by the Dutch he said, “They have different restrictions, but they have also supplied different weapon systems. We certainly have the same line to make sure that Ukraine wins the war. I think we are doing everything we can to make that happen.”
He added, “They have taken over a large area in a good way, with new techniques, quite quickly. In doing so, they have created a dilemma for Putin. […] Ukraine has to act differently than it has done in the past period, because now it is a static front.
“So, I understand very well from a military operational point of view that Ukraine is trying it this way.”
Eichelsheim continued, adding that the invasion is “at least the beginning of a possible strategic adjustment in the fight between Russia and Ukraine,” the question remains as to how Kyiv’s forces can “strategically” exploit their operation in Kursk.
He added, “You can use it as a bargaining chip, then you have to do something with negotiations. […] Or do you use it to ensure that Russia has to withdraw units from the Donbas region.
“We don’t see the latter happening, so time will tell to what extent it will have a strategic impact.”
