Belgium Pledges $1 Billion Military Aid and 30 F-16 Jets to Ukraine

On May 28, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement in Brussels. This agreement commits Belgium to providing Ukraine with $1 billion in military aid and 30 F-16 fighter jets.

The agreement comes as Ukraine continues to defend against Russian attacks on civilian targets in Kharkiv. This deal is the second major agreement reached during Zelensky’s “hurricane tour” of diplomatic engagements.

Belgium has stated that the total number of F-16 fighter jets to be delivered to Ukraine is 30, with the first jet expected to be delivered within this year.

Under the agreement, Belgium has pledged to deliver the first of the fighter jets by the end of the year, emphasizing that these aircraft will only be used within Ukrainian territory. Prime Minister De Croo also announced that Belgium has begun training new Ukrainian pilots on the F-16s and is providing technical support to Ukrainian technicians.

Zelensky expressed optimism that ongoing negotiations with Western allies would yield positive results, including permission to target military objectives within Russia. He framed this support as a response to Russia’s aggressive policies.

NATO and EU officials have stressed that the use of Western-supplied weapons inside Russia would not involve the alliance in the war. French President Emmanuel Macron has also supported allowing Kyiv to take defensive measures against Russia.

However, the United States has maintained restrictions on Ukraine using U.S.-supplied weapons for attacks within Russia. Meanwhile, Russia has warned that the use of Western weapons on its territory would be a dangerous provocation and suggested that NATO could be drawn into direct conflict with Russia as a result.

© www.aerohaber.com | www.tr.aerohaber.com

Note: Aviation news on our news site cannot be used without citing the sourc