The appearance of F-16 fighter jets in the Ukrainian sky will be a historic moment for the entire security architecture in Europe and the world, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, speaking at a session of the G7 plus Ukraine summit.

"I am also grateful for the decision to train our pilots on modern fighters. The air shield can only be complete when ground-based air defense systems are complemented with modern aircraft in the air. We are now on the path to closing the capability gap. When our pilots will know the F-16 and when these machines appear in our skies, it will matter not only for Ukraine, it will be a historic moment for the entire security architecture in Europe and in the world," he said.

Zelenskyy noted that the supply of the latest air defense systems to the country showed what democracy is capable of. "Patriots in the hands of Ukrainians showed what democracy is capable of. You and I proved together that the question is not how many missiles our common enemy has, but how many air defense systems we have. Patriots, Iris-T, NASAMS, Crotale, SAMP-T - they protect life in our cities and create a global brand of security for democracy. When such air defense systems in Ukraine are enough to protect all our cities, the world will see what an air shield democracy can create," he said.