The Ukrainian President Zelensky has arrived in Brussels. President Zelensky’s visit that was unannounced will included meetings with the Belgian Prime Minister and other members of the Belgian government as well as a meeting at NATO Headquarters. Not long after his arrival in Belgium President Zelensky received some good news. Speaking in an interview with the Francophone commercial broadcaster Bel RTL, the Federal Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder (Francophone socialist) said that from 2025 Belgium intends to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.
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Ukrainian President arrives in Brussels and is told that Belgium intends to supply
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For some time now, the Ukrainian President has been calling for additional support from the western countries, including the supply of fighter jets.
The F-16s that Belgium intends to supply to Ukraine will only be available from 2025, once the first of the Belgian Airforce’s new F-35 aircraft are operational. Belgium also wants to help with the training of pilots and the maintenance of the aircraft here in Belgium. Furthermore, Belgium intends to train 50 Ukrainian technicians who can then maintain the aircraft in Ukraine.
"Belgians will train Ukrainian pilots in Belgium, Denmark and perhaps also in another European country," the Defence Minister told Bel RTL.
"Training them in Ukraine is not on the agenda yet. We are supporting Ukraine to the full in its efforts modernise its armed forces. What we are offering here is fundamental and much better than a simple announcement that we will send them some F-16s."
The Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (Francophone liberal) confirmed the news on X, the former Twitter. Her party had been pressing for the delivery of the fighter jets for some time and had the cabinet reexamine the issue. Ms Labib wrote that "The best way to protect Belgian and European citizens is to continue supporting Ukraine".
Cooperation
President Zelensky's first stop in Brussels is the NATO building, where a meeting of Defence Ministers is taking place today. The situation in Ukraine is an important item on the agenda.
Later, President Zelensky will meet with the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Flemish liberal), Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder (Francophone socialist), Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (Francophone liberal) and Development Aid Minister Caroline Gennez (Flemish socialist). Belgium will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 January to 30 June 2024 and it is widely known that President Zelensky wants to further strengthen ties with the EU. Last week at an informal summit of European foreign ministers the Ukrainian Head of State stressed that "Ukraine's victory depends on cooperation with the European Union."
The visit is President Zelensky second official visit to Belgium since the start of the war in Ukraine in late February 2022.