Ukrainian MPs urge Belgium to speed up F-16 deliveries

The Belgian Chamber of Representatives received a delegation of Ukrainian MPs on Tuesday. They urged a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees to speed up the delivery of Belgian F-16s.

Belgium's outgoing government decided last year to supply Ukraine with decommissioned F-16 fighters, with 30 to be delivered by 2028. The first delivery was originally scheduled for the end of last year, before being delayed.

There were several reasons for the delay, including a shortage of spare parts and trained Ukrainian pilots. The delivery of the first F-35s to Belgium, which are meant to replace the F-16s, is also behind schedule.

"We do not have the luxury of waiting to strengthen our air defences"

Ukrainian MPs have now called for the delivery to be speeded up. "We do not have the luxury of waiting to strengthen our air defences," said Oleksandr Korniyenko, head of the Ukrainian delegation.

"Your prime minister promised us that some aircraft could be delivered before the end of 2024. So far we have not received them," added Yehor Cherniev, head of the Ukrainian delegation to NATO.

Zelensky warns Europe

Also on Tuesday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Europe urgently needed to invest in its defence in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The speech comes a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as US president. The European continent was already not the United States' priority under Joe Biden and risks falling even further behind under Trump, Zelensky said.

"Will president Trump notice Europe at all? Will he see NATO as necessary? And will he respect EU institutions?" Zelensky asked. "Europe can't afford to be second or third in line to its allies. If that happens, the world will move forward without Europe."

 

Belgium's prime minister Alexander De Croo, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky and Belgium's Defence minister Ludivine Dedonder © PHOTO SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP


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