Belgium does not allow the use of F-16s outside Ukraine

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Photo: Belga).

In a statement, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stressed that Belgium signed a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine last week, including the provision of 30 F-16 fighter jets by 2028, the largest aid figure among Kiev's allies.

"This agreement is extremely clear. We are talking about fighter jets that Ukraine can use on its territory. This is an agreement that we have reached and I want it to be respected," the Belgian Prime Minister stressed.

The top priority, according to Mr. De Croo, is to ensure that the US and other NATO countries can continue to provide military support to Ukraine.

"The need for air defense is huge. Fighter aircraft can support this, but it will require additional resources. Therefore, we must consider how to provide equipment to Ukraine faster and more effectively," the leader said.

Belgian Prime Minister De Croo Belga's statement came after the country's Defense Minister, Ludivine Dedonder, said that Belgian military weapons could only be deployed on Ukrainian territory.

Mr. Dedonder's statement came after the decision of a number of allied countries, especially the US and Germany, to allow Ukraine to use weapons provided by the West to attack Russian military facilities, but under certain conditions.

According to the European Commission (EC), Ukraine has the right to self-defense, including attacking military targets on Russian territory. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also affirmed that Ukraine has the right to attack Russian territory and emphasized that more and more allies agree with this.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/bi-khong-cho-phep-su-dung-f-16-ben-ngoai-lanh-tho-ukraine-20240601161725218.htm