Defence minister: Belgium will supply Ukraine with F-16s

Belgium will supply F-16s to Ukraine in 2025, Defence minister Ludivine Dedonder of francophone socialist party PS told Bel RTL Wednesday morning.

In 2025, Belgium is set to receive new F-35 fighter aircraft. Dedonder promised the shipment of “some Belgian F-16 combat aircraft” to Ukraine from 2025, “depending on expanding our new F-35 capacity”. Her announcement coincides with a visit from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to Belgium, who Dedonder will meet on Wednesday.

Foreign Affairs minister Hadja Lahbib of francophone liberals MR confirmed her support for this decision. "Kyiv is 2000 KM from Brussels. The best way to protect Belgian and European citizens is to continue to support Ukraine," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "The delivery of #F16 will contribute to this! The analysis we requested was conclusive. Good news for our collective defence!"

The move coincides with a meeting of NATO Defence ministers, which will take place on 11 and 12 October at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

^{Defence minister Ludivine Dedonder © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM}

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