The United States, US, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken on Wednesday, said Ukraine can continue to defend itself against the aggression from Russia.

Blinken said the first batch of US-built F-16 fighter jets are being transferred to Ukraine to allow the country defend itself from Russia.

He spoke on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington DC where world leaders pledged continued support for Kyiv.

Blinken said the F-16s were being transferred from Denmark and the Netherlands.

He said: “And those jets will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer to make sure that Ukraine can continue to defend itself against Russian aggression effectively.”

Top of the agenda at the NATO summit would be the backing of Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long sought advanced Western aircraft to combat Russia in the ongoing war.

In August last year, President Joe Biden gave the green light to transfer F-16s to Ukraine despite concerns about how long it would take Ukrainian personnel to train to fly the planes.