Belgium has quietly postponed its promised delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, signaling yet another complication in the West’s ongoing military support for Kiev. Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken revealed during an event at the Atlantic Council in Washington on May 6 that Brussels will not send any F-16s until it receives its own shipment of F-35 aircraft from the United States – a move that could delay the transfer for several years.

This announcement represents a significant shift from earlier commitments. In 2023, Belgium, alongside Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway, vowed to provide Ukraine with up to 80 F-16s, after securing approval from then-US President Joe Biden’s administration. Since then, Denmark and the Netherlands have delivered around 20 jets to Ukraine. Belgium, however, has yet to supply a single plane.

Despite this, Francken insisted Belgium remains Ukraine’s “biggest supporter on the air domain.” Speaking to the audience in Washington, he said, “We are delivering 30 working F-16s in the years to come, as soon as possible.” Yet his emphasis on “the years to come” highlighted the growing gap between rhetoric and reality.

The delay hinges on Belgium’s need to first receive American-made F-35s to replace its aging F-16 fleet. Francken explained the situation, saying, “When we have our F-35s from the US, we will give the F-16s because we have DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging) capacity in Belgium.” In essence, Belgium requires operational readiness with its new aircraft before it can part with the........

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