Belgium to deliver 30 F-16 fighters to Ukraine by 2028

Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (Getty Images)

Belgium will commit to providing 30 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by 2028, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib.

She said that the first fighter jets are to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year.

According to her, this commitment will be officially formalized in a security guarantees agreement, which will be signed today by Ukraine and Belgium.

The Belgian Ministry of Defense will also transfer ammunition from its stockpiles to equip the F-16s for Ukraine.

According to the minister, this support for Kyiv is necessary to stop Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who is determined to push back the borders of European countries and ensure the security of Belgium.

F-16 for Ukraine

Last year, Ukraine and its allies formed an aviation coalition with the goal of providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. The transfer of aircraft will occur gradually. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine needs more than 100 aircraft in total to achieve parity of forces in the air.

Recently, the first group of Ukrainian pilots completed training in Arizona. They are now heading to Europe for further training.