The United States is sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to aid in its war against Russia, with the first batch of American-made aircraft being transferred from Denmark and the Netherlands, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday.

Secretary Blinken made the announcement while speaking at an event during the NATO summit in Washington, DC. He also told officials that the US would be sending another robust aid package to Ukraine, which would be unveiled in the coming days. The package aims to put Ukraine on the path toward achieving NATO membership, per Reuters.

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"I'm also pleased to announce that as we speak, the transfer of F-16 jets is underway, coming from Denmark, coming from the Netherlands. And those jets...will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression," said Blinken.
 

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared his intention to double Ukraine's air defense capacity over the summer and stated that his country required at least seven additional Patriot systems to safeguard itself. NATO members recently announced that five additional Patriot systems had been delivered to Ukraine, along with other strategic air defense systems.

The US, Denmark, and the Netherlands released a joint statement announcing the donations of American-made F-16s to Ukraine.
 

"We are grateful to Belgium and Norway for committing to provide further aircraft, and to the other members of the Air Force Capability Coalition for their support," the statement reads.

Additional aid announcements from world leaders are expected to be made during the 75th NATO summit this week, per Reuters.