Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte had a phone call with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which he informed about the decision of the Dutch government to prepare for the delivery of the first 18 F-16 fighters to Ukraine.

"Today I also informed President Zelenskyy of our government’s decision to prepare an initial 18 F-16 fighter aircraft for delivery to Ukraine. The delivery of F-16s is one of the most important elements of the agreements made on military support for Ukraine," Rutte said on the X social network on Friday.

However, he noted that a number of criteria must be met for delivery to take place.

"Besides an export permit, a number of other criteria must also still be met before delivery can take place, including requirements for personnel and infrastructure. This decision confirms the Netherlands’ undiminished commitment to providing Ukraine with the support it needs to respond to the ongoing Russian aggression," Rutte said.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands also said the parties discussed the decision of the European Council to begin negotiations with Ukraine on accession to the EU.

"I'm impressed with Ukraine’s progress so far, and the Netherlands stands ready to help Ukraine as it continues to work on the reforms that the accession process requires. I also assured President Zelenskyy that the Netherlands will make every effort to ensure agreement is reached at the European Council meeting in February 2024 on financial support from the EU," Rutte said.

In turn, Zelenskyy thanked the Dutch government for the decision to start preparations for the delivery of the first 18 F-16 fighters to Ukraine, as well as for supporting the start of negotiations on accession to the EU.

"I spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to thank the Dutch government for its decision to start preparing the initial 18 F-16 jets for their delivery to Ukraine. I also thanked the Netherlands for actively supporting the opening of Ukraine's EU accession talks and emphasized the importance of providing EUR 50 billion in long-term EU assistance for Ukraine as soon as possible," Zelenskyy said on the X social network on Friday.

The president said the parties discussed frontline developments, the situation in the Black Sea, and Ukraine’s current military needs, including artillery, drones, and air defense.

"We agreed to continue our joint work on security guarantees following the G7 Vilnius Declaration. We also discussed the next Peace Formula meeting and efforts to further consolidate international support for the Ukrainian vision of a just peace," Zelenskyy said.