Belgium postpones delivery of F-16s to Ukraine until next year

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Bart de Weever photo: vrt.be

Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever said that the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine has been postponed until 2026.

He said this before a meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels, according to «Evropeiska pravda».

The delay is due to Belgium's expectation of new F-35 fighter jets to replace the existing F-16s. The Prime Minister did not provide details on the arrival of the F-35.

Advertising

Previously, the F-16s were supposed to be used for combat operations in Ukraine, but the revised schedule means that their commissioning is postponed until 2026.

Before the EU summit, the Belgian Prime Minister met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

«He thanked the government and all Belgians for their assistance, in particular for the decision to transfer the F-16 aircraft. We appreciate these strong steps to protect Ukrainian lives», Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after the meeting.

The President of Ukraine also noted that during the talks, special attention was paid to defence issues, including the supply of artillery systems and shells, as well as investments in the production of long-range drones and missiles in Ukraine. He emphasised that these weapons have proven their effectiveness at the frontline, so their production needs to be strengthened.

It should be noted that Belgium is to transfer 30 of its F-16 fighters to Ukraine by 2028.

Earlier it was reported that F-16 aircraft and other weapons that Belgium will transfer as part of the security agreement, Ukraine will be able to use only on its territory.