Ukraine and Belgium have signed a 10-year bilateral defense agreement, under which Brussels will provide Kiev with $1 billion (€977 million) in military aid by 2024 and 30 US-made F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets over the next four years. Notably, the first “Peregrine Falcon” jets will be delivered to the frontline in the coming months.
The agreement signed on May 28 “ensures timely Belgian security assistance, modern vehicles and armored equipment to meet the needs of the Ukrainian air defense and air force, naval security, mine clearance, participation in the artillery coalition and military training,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X/Twitter.
The deal also includes defense industry cooperation, support for Ukraine's “ Peace Formula,” increased sanctions against Russia and the use of frozen Russian assets, and economic reconstruction.
“Ukraine and Belgium will also strengthen cooperation in the areas of intelligence, cybersecurity and countering disinformation. Belgium also expressed support for Ukraine’s future membership in the EU and NATO,” Zelensky said.
“For the first time, such an agreement specifies the exact number of F-16 fighter jets – 30 – to be delivered to Ukraine until 2028, with the first ones arriving this year… I thank Prime Minister De Croo, his government and all the Belgian people for their long-standing and steadfast support for Ukraine,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Belgian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet. Photo: Militarnyi
For his part, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the security cooperation agreement would help provide Ukraine with the right tools to protect its citizens in the long term. “We are very determined when it comes to support (Ukraine). So we need to do more, better and faster,” De Croo said in a post on X/Twitter.
President Zelensky arrived in Brussels shortly after he concluded a visit to Madrid, where on May 27 he secured another $1 billion commitment from the government of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to bolster Kiev’s capabilities, including air defense.
In a post on X/Twitter, Mr. Sanchez said Spain had committed to providing Patriot air defense missiles (just the missiles, not the entire system) and would also send additional Leopard tanks, and above all, ammunition. The deal is also for more than 10 years and includes $1 billion in military aid by 2024.
Belgium and Spain are the latest European countries, after Britain, France and Germany, to sign bilateral security agreements with Ukraine as a European Union-wide approach remains elusive due to Hungary's obstruction.
A new $5.4 billion Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF) aid package agreed in March is reportedly being blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The UAF is being paid for through the $18.5 billion European Peace Facility (EPF), a military funding and assistance mechanism created by the bloc in March 2021 with a mandate to prevent conflicts and strengthen defenses.
EU member states have provided Ukraine with around $30 billion in military assistance since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted in February 2022, with around $6.6 billion of this coming from the EPF .
Minh Duc (According to UPI, Euronews)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/co-gi-trong-goi-ho-tro-quan-su-1-ty-usd-ma-ukraine-vua-ky-voi-bi-a665760.html
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