Belgium postpones delivery of F-16s to Ukraine until 2026
www.pravda.com.ua
Thu, 06 Mar 2025 15:33:41 +0200
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has announced that the delivery of F16 fighter jets to Ukraine has been postponed until 2026.
Source Wever in a statement before a meeting with other European Union leaders in Brussels, as reported by European Pravda Details The delay is due to the fact that Belgium is waiting to receive new F35 fighter jets to replace the current fleet of F16s.
De Wever provided no further details on the expected arrival of the F35s.
The F16s are intended for combat use in Ukraine, though the revised delivery schedule means they will not enter service until 2026.
President Zelenskyy met with de Wever before todays EU summit.
I thanked the government and all Belgians for their assistance, particularly for the decision to transfer F16 fighter jets.
We greatly appreciate these strong steps to protect Ukrainian lives, the Ukrainian leader wrote on X Twitter after the meeting.
During our talks, we focused particularly on defence needs, primarily the supply of artillery systems and ammunition, as well as investment in Ukraines domestic production of longrange drones and missiles.
These systems have already proven their effectiveness on the front lines, and we must work together to strengthen this advantage, Zelenskyy tweeted.
Background A coalition of countries led by the United States, Denmark and the Netherlands, which formed in 2023, began delivering F16s to Ukraine last year.
Ukraines Defence Minister Rustem Umierov met with his Belgian counterpart Theo Francken in midFebruary to discuss the further implementation of the F16 programme.
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