Belgium to Allocate 100 Million Euros to Ukraine for F-16 Maintenance

The Belgian Council of Ministers approved on Friday a military aid package of 100 million euros to support Ukraine in maintaining F-16 fighter jets, announced Belgium's Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder, as reported by Interfax.

Belgium is one of 13 member countries of the 'F-16 coalition' led by the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United States, which plans to supply these multirole fighters to Kyiv.

“Belgium has been participating in the establishment of this coalition since its inception,” said Dedonder in her statement.

“We have already begun training Ukrainian technical specialists. The operational maintenance of F-16s is taking place in Denmark, as well as the education and retraining of future pilots for this advanced and high-tech aircraft,” the minister added.

Belgian media recalls that in October 2023, during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Brussels, the current Belgian government announced its intention to transfer Belgian F-16 aircraft to Ukraine by 2025. However, such a decision must be validated by the future government that will come to power after parliamentary elections.