Belgium to speed up delivery of F-16 jets to Ukraine, says defense minister
Belgium is planning to expedite the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, moving up the timeline originally set, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced ahead of a ministers' meeting in Brussels on May 20, according to Radio Svoboda.
“Regarding the F-16s, we are part of the F-16 coalition and will remain so, and we're trying to deliver the aircraft even earlier than the set deadline. I think this is good news," he stated, though he provided no further details.
Earlier, in March, the Belgian government indicated a delay in the delivery of F-16 jets to Ukraine due to setbacks in receiving new F-35 jets from the United States to Belgium. The delay involved thirty jets whose delivery was pushed to the end of 2025. Recently, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever mentioned that Belgium plans to transfer at least two fighter jets to Ukraine in 2025, but more could follow.