Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever made the announcement following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels. "Ukraine needs combat-capable fighter jets, and we can contribute to this effort. We will deliver 10 aircraft this year," De Wever said.
The Belgian prime minister noted that the delivery schedule for military equipment had been revised due to delays in the delivery of US-made F-35 fighter jets, which are intended to replace Belgium’s F-16s. In 2024, Belgium pledged to deliver its first two F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and subsequently transfer the remaining aircraft in service in stages. In June 2026, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken announced plans to deliver seven F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2026.
However, deliveries have not yet begun due to delays in the supply of F-35 aircraft. According to Belga, the leaders also discussed Ukraine’s funding needs, although De Wever did not elaborate on the possibility of using frozen Russian assets, most of which are held by Belgium-based Euroclear, to support Ukraine. Belgium had previously opposed a proposal to use the frozen assets to finance a reparations loan for Ukraine, citing potential legal and financial risks.
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