De Wever pledges ten Belgian F-16s for Ukraine by end of 2026

Belgium plans to transfer ten F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine before the end of 2026, Prime Minister Bart De Wever said after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels.

According to Belga, cited by RIA Novosti on October 16, De Wever said delays in F-35 deliveries had put Belgium behind schedule. Those aircraft are now beginning to arrive, which he said would allow Belgium to send F-16s to Ukraine.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the European Union summit. The two leaders also discussed ammunition for the F-16s manufactured by Belgian company FN Herstal.

Belgian authorities first pledged in May 2024 to start transferring fighters before the end of that year. The timetable was subsequently postponed several times. De Wever's latest commitment sets a deadline of the end of December 2026 for ten aircraft.