Ukraine and Belgium have signed a bilateral security agreement.
The agreement was signed during a meeting between Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo in Brussels.
Zelenskiy’s visit to Brussels follows a meeting in Spain on Monday, May 27, 2024.
Under the agreement, Belgium will provide equipment for air forces and defence, naval security, mine clearance, military training and ammunition.
“The document includes at least 977 million euros in Belgian military aid to Ukraine this year, as well as Belgium’s commitment to providing support over the course of the agreement’s ten-year term,” Zelenskiy said in a social media post.
As the two countries signed a ten-year security and support pact, Belgium pledged to send 30 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by 2028, with the first deliveries scheduled to arrive later this year.
At a press conference in Brussels, Zelenskyy said that the delivery of the jets in 2024 would “make our stance stronger” but voiced frustration with western allies’ restrictions to stop weapons being used against targets on Russian soil.
Belgium’s Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo also stated that Belgium was working to deliver the first jets as soon as possible, without specifying how many would arrive this year.
“The fact that we can add our planes ourselves already this year is a very important signal to make absolutely clear that Ukraine will have a full blown capacity based on fighter jets in the months to come and in the years to come.”
Alexander De Croo
Under the terms of the agreement, Ukraine will not be allowed to use the Belgian jets to attack targets inside Russia.
Belgium promised the jets last October and Zelenskyy said it was the first time that the exact number of F-16 fighter jets to be delivered to Ukraine by 2028 had been specified.
Additionally, the signed agreement touches on strengthening sanctions against Russia, justice, compensation for damages, using confiscated Russian assets for Ukraine’s needs and economic recovery.
The two sides will also deepen cooperation on intelligence, cyber security and countering disinformation.
The document focus support for the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
In the agreement, Belgium clearly reaffirms its support for Ukraine’s future membership in the EU and NATO.
Belgium is the 11th country with which Ukraine has signed a bilateral security agreement in furtherance of the G7 Joint Declaration adopted in Vilnius on July 12 last year.
A total of 32 states have already joined the declaration.
Zelenskyy Seeks Biden’s Presence At Peace Summit
At the press conference in Brussels, The Ukrainian President averred that he wanted US President, Joe Biden to be “personally present” at the peace summit in Switzerland on 15-16 June, 2024.
He said, “That peace summit needs President Biden… His absence will be only applause to Putin, standing applause.”
The conference is being organised at Zelensky’s request to secure “a just and lasting peace” but Russia has not been invited, so it remains unclear what it can achieve.
Zelenskyy also revealed that he was also expecting a reply from China and Brazil, while stressing all participation was important. “Believe me every voice is important,” he averred.
He said that silence was worse than supporting the war.
He asserted, “You are either for peace or you are for war… if you are silent you are satisfied with what is going on.”
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