Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, Danish Minister of Defence, has criticised the Russian Ambassador to Copenhagen, Vladimir Barbin, who referred to sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as an escalation of the conflict.

As reported by TV2, the Russian ambassador's condemned it at the same time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was at Christiansborg Palace, which among other things houses the Danish Parliament.

The Ukrainian president delivered a speech to a large crowd in front of palace's main stairs. The Minister of Defence responded to Russia's statement right after the speech.

"A representative of a country that invaded a peaceful neighbour and killed innocent civilians dares to claim that others are escalating a conflict when they could stop it tomorrow by simply saying, 'We're going back to our country now,'" Ellemann-Jensen stated.

"I think he should be ashamed," he added.

Earlier, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Denmark had decided to send 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

On August 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Denmark after visiting the Netherlands.

During a visit to the Netherlands, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would receive 42 F-16 fighter jets after Ukrainian pilots and engineers complete training.