MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belgium has given Ukraine none of the 30 F-16 fighter jets it promised back in 2024 due to delays in F-35 deliveries, Belgian Air Force Commander Geert De Decker said, citing the need to maintain air force capabilities.

In 2024, then-Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo promised Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Brussels would transfer 30 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, with the first four aircraft planned for delivery by the end of 2024.

"From the very beginning, the Ministry of Defense stated that the operational needs of the Belgian Air Force must be prioritized… It was always clear that our own operational readiness had to be ensured," the general was quoted as saying by the VRT broadcaster.

Belgium reportedly plans to phase out its entire F-16 fleet by the end of 2028. Only after completing the transition to F-35s will it be able to deliver the remaining F-16s to Ukraine. The final deliveries are not expected before 2029.

"Ukraine, like other countries, somewhat underestimated the complexity of training. It turned out to be more difficult than expected, and the problem sometimes lies in rather simple things, such as insufficient English language proficiency. Many Ukrainian pilots learned to fly on Russian aircraft. The F-16 cockpit operates entirely in English, many procedures are different, so training takes longer than anticipated," defense expert Jens Franssen told VRT.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that NATO allies were "playing with fire" by supplying weapons to Ukraine. The Kremlin stressed that funneling weapons to Ukraine did not contribute to the Ukraine peace process.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20260304/belgium-delivered-none-of-30-f-16s-pledged-to-ukraine-in-2024---air-force-chief-1123761604.html

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