Belgium to provide Ukraine with 30 F-16 aircraft by 2028, first to arrive in 2024

Belgium will supply Ukraine with 30 F-16 fighter jets by 2028, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib told the Belgian broadcaster RTL on May 28.

First of these planes should arrive already "by the end of the year," she added.

The announcement accompanies news that President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Belgium on May 28 to sign a bilateral security agreement.

Lahbib said that the agreement on F-16 fighter jets will be signed on May 28 in Brussels.

Belgium was among the first countries to join the coalition established in the summer of 2023 to bolster Ukraine's Air Force. The initiative has been spearheaded by the U.S., Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Last October, Belgium said that it would provide Ukraine with several F-16 fighter jets, without specifying a number, and help with the training for Ukrainian pilots in EU countries.

Apart from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway have also pledged to supply Ukraine with dozens of U.S.-made fourth-generation jets.

The Danish Defense Ministry announced in February that Ukraine will receive the first batch of F-16 fighter jets already this summer.

F-16s for Ukraine: When will they arrive and what can they do?

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American air superiority fighter that Kyiv has begged for since the start of the full-scale invasion and is expected to finally start receiving this year. It’s a versatile workhorse of a jet that’s fought in dozens of wars and is

The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova