Belgium’s Defense Minister has stated that Ukraine will only receive F-16 fighter jets after Belgium receives its F-35s from the United States.
Defense Minister Theo Francken has announced that Belgium’s delivery of F-16s to Ukraine will occur “in the years to come,” despite an initial pledge made last year. Francken clarified that Brussels must first receive its own F-35s from the US before supplying the jets to Kiev.
In 2023, Belgium, along with NATO allies Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway, committed to providing Ukraine with up to 80 F-16s, following approval from the Biden administration. Denmark and the Netherlands have already delivered approximately 20 of these aircraft to Ukraine.
Speaking at an Atlantic Council event in Washington on Tuesday, Francken asserted that Belgium is Kiev’s “biggest supporter on the air domain,” even though it has not yet provided any aircraft.
Brussels intends on “delivering 30 working F-16s [to Ukraine] in the years to come, as soon as possible,” he stated.
Francken attributed the delay to the fact that “when we have our F-35s [from the US], we will give the F-16s because we have DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging) capacity in Belgium.”
He affirmed Belgium’s strong support for Kiev, stating that the country is “very forward leaning” and “will support [Vladimir] Zelensky and every Ukrainian because it is very important.”
Last month, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever announced that Belgium will send two non-operational F-16s to Ukraine by the end of 2025 for use as spare parts.
De Wever also announced Brussels will commit €1 billion ($1.1 billion) annually in military aid to Kiev. Francken noted that this support package “will pass the government within a few weeks.”
Last week, the US government approved a $310.5 million agreement to maintain Ukrainian F-16s, encompassing training, spare parts, aircraft upgrades, logistical support, and software for the fourth-generation fighters.
In April, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses had downed a Ukrainian F-16, marking the second confirmed loss of a US-designed aircraft operated by Ukraine.
Initially, Ukrainian officials suggested that F-16s would be a decisive factor in the conflict with Russia. However, their combat use has been limited, with the aircraft primarily deployed away from the front lines for air defense.
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