Belgium will deliver ten F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this year to help strengthen its defense capabilities, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said Thursday.
– Speaking at a press conference following the first day of an EU summit in Brussels, De Wever said he discussed Ukraine’s military needs with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
– “We will supply 10 this year. We have fallen a little behind because of delays with the F-35s, but those are now starting to arrive, which will enable us to send F-16s to Ukraine,” De Wever said.
– He stressed that Ukraine urgently needs operational fighter jets, describing F-16s as among the few weapons capable of effectively defending against “Russian jet-powered drones.”
– De Wever added that the two leaders also discussed the possibility of Belgium supplying ammunition for the F-16s, including some manufactured by Belgian defense company FN Herstal.
– The leaders also discussed Ukraine’s funding needs, although De Wever did not elaborate on the possibility of using frozen Russian assets held largely at Belgian-based Euroclear to support Ukraine.
– Belgium previously opposed a proposal to use the frozen assets to finance a reparations loan for Ukraine, citing potential legal and financial risks.