By 2025, Belgium promises to promote Ukraine's ascent toward solidarity through F-16.

MILAN – Th? B?l?i?n ??v??nm?nt s?i? it will ???vi?? ?n ?n?iscl?s?? n?m??? ?? F-16 ?i?ht??s t? Uk??in? ???m 2025, ? ??cisi?n s?m? ??? c?llin? ? c?m???mis? ??tw??n th? ??litic?l ??cti?ns th?t m?k? ?? th? c??nt??’s ??lin? c??liti?n.

On Oct. 11, B?l?i?m ??t ?n ?n? t? th? w?v??in? st?nc? it h?? ????t?? in ??c?nt m?nths ?n th? iss?? ?? s?n?in? F-16s t? Uk??in?.

“B?l?i?m ???m 2025 will ?? in ? ??siti?n t? s???l? F-16s t? Uk??in?,” P?im? Minist?? Al?x?n??? D? C??? t?l? ?????t??s ??ll?win? his m??tin? with Uk??ini?n P??si??nt V?l???m?? Z?l?nsk? in B??ss?ls.

Th? ???ici?l ?????, h?w?v??, th?t s?ch ? ??cisi?n n???s t? ?? c?n?i?m?? ?? th? c??nt??’s n?xt ??v??nm?nt ??ll?win? ?l?cti?ns n?xt M??.

Th? ?nn??nc?m?nt ??i?in?ll? w?s m??? ?? D???ns? Minist?? L??ivin? D???n??? ?n W??n?s??? in ?n int??vi?w with l?c?l ?????c?st?? B?l RTL, ???in? which sh? ?x?l?in?? th?t th? s??ci?ics ?? th? ?????m?nt will “????n? ?n th? ??il?-?? ?? B?l?i?m’s n?w F-35 c????iliti?s.”

Th? ???l will ???th?? ?nt?il th? t??inin? ?? Uk??ini?n ?il?ts ?n? missi?n ?l?nn??s, which will ???in in 2024, ?n? tw? B?l?i?n c?m??ni?s, S???n? En?in???in? ?n? P?t?i? B?c, will ???vi?? ?ss?nti?l t?chnic?l s?????t ??? th? F-16 ?l??t, ?cc???in? t? ? B?l?i?n M?D ???ss ??l??s?. In S??t?m???, B?l?i?m j?in?? th? c??liti?n ?? ? ??z?n ?th?? c??nt?i?s ???vi?in? F-16 c???s?s.

R???l?h? P?lis, ???ss ???ic?? ?t th? B?l?i?n M?D, t?l? D???ns? N?ws th?t th? c??nt?? c????ntl? h?s 53 F-16s in its inv?nt??i?s.

In 2018, B??ss?ls si?n?? ? m?lti-?illi?n ??ll?? c?nt??ct with L?ckh??? M??tin ??? th? s???l? ?? 34 F-35 ?i?ht?? j?ts th?t ??? s?t t? ???l?c? th? ??in? F-16s it ??ss?ss?s. H?w?v??, th? tim?lin? ??? th?s? ??liv??i?s h?s ?l????? ???n ??l????.

“In A??il 2023, Minist?? D???n??? c?n?i?m?? th?t ?nl? tw? F-35s ??t ?? th? initi?l ???? w??l? ?? ??liv???? ???in? th? ?i?st ????t?? ?? 2024,” Al?in D? N?v?, ??s???ch?? ?t th? B?l?i?m-??s?? R???l Hi?h?? Instit?t? ??? D???ns? think t?nk t?l? D???ns? N?ws. “This m??ns th?t th? F-16 t? F-35 t??nsiti?n c??l? ??c? hicc??s, m??nwhil? B?l?i?m is ??li??? t? m?int?in ?n ?????ti?n?l ?l??t ?? ?i?c???t, ???tic?l??l? ??? its j?int missi?ns in th? B?ltics.”

B?l?i?m c?nt?i??t?s t? th? s??v?ill?nc? ?? this ?i?s??c? ?s ???t ?? NATO’s ?nh?nc?? vi?il?nc? ?ctiviti?s ?n? B?ltic Ai? P?licin?. It w?s ?ls? ?n? ?? th? ?i?st int??n?ti?n?l c?st?m??s ?? th? F-16, ??c?ivin? its ?i?st ??liv??i?s ?v?? 40 ????s ???.

Th? n?ws th?t th? j?ts will n?t ???ch Uk??in? ?????? tw? m??? ????s h?v? ??c?iv?? s?m? ??s??v??s, ?s Uk??ini?n ???ici?ls h?v? ???n h??vil? l????in? ??? th?s? w????ns t? ???ch th? w??-t??n c??nt?? ?s s??n ?s ??ssi?l?.

F?? D? N?v?, it is s?m?wh?t s????isin? th?t B?l?i?m w??l? ?? sin?l?? ??t ?n this iss??.

“Th? ??cisi?n t? s?n? F-16s t? Uk??in? ?????s?nts, ?s is ??t?n th? c?s? in B?l?i?m, ?n? ??s?? ?n ? c?m???mis? ??tw??n th? v??i??s ??litic?l s?nsitiviti?s th?t c?m??s? th? ??lin? c??liti?n ??v??nm?nt… This c?n ?? ? c?m?l?x ???c?ss ?n? it is t???, ??t ?? s?nc with ?v?nts,” h? s?i?.

H?w?v??, h? ?????s th?t th? ????lin? n???s t? ?? ?l?c?? in th? ??????? c?nt?xt ?? ?th?? ?l????s m??? ?? F-16 ??n?tin? c??nt?i?s.

“As ???l? ?s J?n???? 2023, th? N?th??l?n?s in?ic?t?? th?t th?? w??? willin? t? ??liv?? F-16s t? Uk??in?, ??t US ?????v?l w?s c??ci?l, which c?m? in th? s??in?. This m??ns it h?s ???n t?n m?nths sinc? th? ?i?st ??liv??? ???mis?s w??? m???, ?n? n? ?i?c???t h?s ??t ???n t??ns?????? t? Uk??ini?n ???c?s,” D? N?v? st?t??.

G?v??nm?nt ???ici?ls h?v? in ??c?nt m?nths v?ic?? th? ???win? ??ssi?ilit? th?t th? R?ssi?-Uk??in? w?? c??l? t??n int? ? ???z?n c?n?lict, th?t m?? l?st ?n?wh??? ??tw??n s?v???l ????s t? ? ??c???.