Belgium commits to delivering 30 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by 2028
Ukraine and Belgium, which is hosting Volodymyr Zelensky for a visit this Tuesday, signed a bilateral security agreement on Tuesday providing in particular for the delivery of 30 F-16 combat aircraft by 2028. A first delivery to Kyiv should take place before the end of 2024.
The security agreement was initialed during a meeting in Brussels between the Ukrainian President and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. “The document includes at least 977 million euros in Belgian military aid to Ukraine this year, as well as Belgium’s commitment to provide support over the ten years of the agreement”said Volodymyr Zelensky in a message on social networks.
Today in Brussels, Prime Minister @AlexanderDeCroo and I signed a bilateral security and long-term support agreement between Ukraine and Belgium.
The document includes at least €977 million in Belgian military aid to Ukraine this year, as well as Belgium’s commitment to…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 28, 2024
Against F-35s
Belgium joined the “F-16 coalition” last year, alongside the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, to provide Kyiv with a series of fighter-bombers intended to counter a Russian offensive.
Initially, Belgium only provided training, technical and logistical support to Kyiv. But last fall, Bruwelles’ government also promised to provide a certain number of planes, without specifying the number. In exchange, Belgium should receive American F-35s.
In May 2023, US President Joe Biden approved the plan to train Ukrainian pilots on US F-16 fighter jets. The training takes place in Europe with the support of American trainers.
Training in Romania
The Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium announced that they would hand over planes to Ukraine for training in Denmark and Romania. Norway must also provide planes. Other countries have confirmed their willingness to participate in the training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16.
In November, a training center for pilots of F-16 combat aircraft was inaugurated in the Romanian city of Fetes, where in particular Ukrainian pilots were to be trained, reports the Ukrainian media hromadske. Instructors from Romania, the Netherlands and the United States, but also military pilots from other NATO member countries, are present there.
On Monday, the Ukrainian president visited Spain where he signed with the head of the Spanish government Pedro Sanchez a bilateral security agreement providing for the supply by Madrid of military equipment worth one billion euros throughout throughout this year.
Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected in Portugal today where he must also sign a security agreement with the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro. The Ukrainian president postponed his visit to Spain and Portugal earlier this month due to Russia’s military offensive in the Kharkiv region.