7mo ago

Belgium gives Ukraine nearly €1B in military aid, including 30 supersonic fighter jets

www.politico.eu Belgium to deliver first F-16s to Ukraine this year — with strings attached

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Alexander De Croo sign new security pact.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Alexander De Croo sign new security pact.

Ukraine and Belgium have signed a security agreement which includes the delivery of 30 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, in a move to bolster Kyiv's defense capabilities against Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo agreed on a plan that “includes at least €977 million in Belgian military aid to Ukraine this year,” the Ukranian president announced Tuesday, during a visit to Belgium.

De Croo had already announced last year that Belgium would send F-16s to Ukraine in 2025 — without saying how many. Crucially, he also said at the time that the main condition would be whether the next government also agrees to do so, as Belgium is headed toward an election in June.

21 comments

Story about Belgian F-16s.
Picture shows US F-35.
Guess the AI's came for Politico's editors first.
- Weirdly the picture in the article is an F-16 but somehow the thumbnail that Lemmy pulled is the F-35.
  
  I suspect Politico fixed it. When I first loaded the page, it had the same image you see in the thumbnail. And that's was what prompted my comment. Looks like they updated the page and it's now an appropriate image.
  
  Pretty sure it was the F-35 picture originally.
- OP used "supersonic jet" in the post title to avoid clarification.
  
  Given that the image used by the article is now an F-16 my guess is that OP just shared the link and it was Politico that changed the image and title.
- Belgium is replacing its F16s with F35s, that's why the F16s are given to Ukraine. They are essentially written off and already in the process of being replaced.
  
  A friend taught me a long time ago that in Civilization it is good to send your old junk units into war first, because otherwise they’re just sitting around costing maintenance gold.
  Guess that’s what Belgium is doing here. Not trying to knock this, of course. I’m sure they’ll be useful.
  
  Yeah was my thought, Belgium is one of many NATO countries getting F-35s makes sense they'd use that picture actually.
- They probably just assume that because they don't know the difference noone else does either lol. I was in shock for a moment "they gave Ukraine F-35s? The US okayed that? Can they even operate them?"

Just please don't look how our politicians have reacted to the Israeli conflict

Is that their entire airforce? xD
- Yes, it is our entire airforce. Now send yours!
  
  I'm from NL, we only have 24 F16's and I doubt they all work lol. But we also have 34 F35's, although I doubt they are all flight ready. But I completely agree, we should follow Belgium by sending our F16's too, next to the anti air we are gathering to send. We should all send more to support Ukraine! Even troops imo. They are fighting a battle not for just them, but for all of us.
  But my initial comment was to make fun of Belgium, because whenever Dutchies have a chance to do so, they will. And vice versa right? Although I love the Belgians! Don't get me wrong!

Niiiize

It's funny because the money they send the US would partially be reinjected in the EU if they bought e.g. French planes. I'll never understand some of that decision making.

21 comments