Brussels ( Brussels Morning) – Belgium’s military aid to Ukraine surpasses €1 billion, with a recent €100 million for F-16 maintenance, emphasizing ongoing support amidst Russian aggression.
Belgium’s military assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the war has reached the €1 billion mark, according to Defence Minister Ludovine Dedonder. The government has endorsed 25 military aid packages so far, with the most contemporary on Friday amounting to €100 million for F-16 fighter jet maintenance, a scheme in tandem with six other countries.
Since the Russian aggression on 24 February 2022, aid delivered by Belgium has consisted of military equipment, fuel and industry buys. These actions are closely corresponded with allies to ensure that support is complementary and tailored to Ukrainian needs.
“Belgian Defence will persist in responding to Ukrainian demands, either through donations from its stocks or mobilising our industry,” stated Dedonder. “Defence’s general support for the Ukrainian armed forces will continue for as long as needed.”
Belgium is among 13 coalition partner countries piloting the F-16 ambition under the leadership of the Netherlands, Denmark, and the US. “Belgium pledged its dedication to this coalition from the outset,” the minister recalled in a press statement.
Not only has the training of Ukrainian technicians for functional maintenance of the F-16 fleet started, but involvement with training and practices of future pilots of this high-performance, high-technology capability is also ongoing in Denmark. Both Belgium and its defence sector will persist in their support for Ukraine in its effort to reclaim its land and protect its population.
The invasion of Ukraine took Europe and has pushed the debate about collective defence to the top of the plan, most notably regarding national spending on security and adherence to NATO targets. Belgium gave just 1.1% of its GDP to defence last year, dropping well below the 2% NATO member minimum. This is predicted to increase to 1.24% this year, to 1.57% by 2030 and to the required 2% by 2035.
MPs were willing to discuss these matters with Minister Dedonder during a parliamentary session on Wednesday. Opposition party Les Engagés and ruling group MR agreed on the urgency of negotiating with the Russian threat. “We should not minimise the existential threat Putin poses by carrying on as usual. If we do not prepare for war, we will face it,” cautioned Georges Dallemagne.
Meanwhile, Théo Francken and the NATO Vice-President (as leader of the Belgian delegation) believe that Belgium is already “shouldering its responsibilities” in this regard. Ukraine’s accession to NATO was another burning topic among Belgian MPs. Dedonder cautions that this action is a “long-term multilateral approach that will require agreement from all Allies and cannot be performed as long as Ukraine is at war.”
The Minister also managed the nuclear threat from Russia, saying that NATO’s response to the attack would not necessarily concern the reactionary use of nuclear, as “conventional” alternatives are available too. Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Hadja Lahbib (MR) has cautioned that “it would be dangerous to make commitments we can’t keep” regarding a five-year NATO defence fund for Ukraine amounting to €100 billion.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg offered the initiative during a ceremony for the military alliance’s 75th anniversary in Brussels on Wednesday. “We will be exploring the feasibility of this proposal,” remarked Lahbib to Belga News Agency. Stoltenberg did not provide more specific details about the reserve but said that the objective is to achieve a consensus before the upcoming NATO summit planned for July in Washington. The move is believed to be a way of ensuring funding to Ukraine in the light of Donald Trump’s return as US President.
