The bilateral agreement includes the provision of 30 F-16 fighter jets, part of a larger military aid package amounting to €977 million ($1.062 billion) for this year.
De Croo announced that the initial batch of F-16s is expected to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year and will be deployed by Ukrainian defense forces within their territory.
This deal with Belgium follows a similar agreement Zelenskyy secured on Monday, May 27, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The Spanish pact, worth €1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) over the next decade, entails the supply of advanced military equipment for ground, air, and naval operations.
Earlier on Tuesday, Zelenskyy also held a meeting with King Philippe at Brussels' Royal Palace, further strengthening diplomatic ties between Ukraine and Belgium.
F-16s to fly over Ukraine ‘very soon’
Ukraine is set to receive its first F-16 fighter jets “very soon,” according to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, despite approximately half of the foreign military aid being delayed.
Umerov highlighted that Ukrainian forces have managed to stabilize the new front in the northeastern Kharkiv region following recent Russian assaults. However, he warned that Moscow is preparing for another offensive.
Expressing gratitude for the military assistance from international partners, Umerov noted that only half of the promised aid is arriving on time. He emphasized that these delays benefit Russia, which maintains a much larger and better-equipped military force along a 1,200 km (750 miles) front line.
The defense minister also mentioned that before the recent Russian incursions into northern Kharkiv, which resulted in the capture of border villages and the displacement of thousands of civilians, Russian forces had been gradually advancing in the eastern Donetsk region for months.
A new Ukrainian mobilization law, enacted last week, has prompted up to 1.2 million men to update their military records online. Umerov did not specify the exact number of men the government plans to draft but indicated this effort would support draft officers.
According to military analysts, Ukraine’s defense personnel, including security and law enforcement, number over one million. Umerov reported that Russia has around 500,000 troops in Ukraine and near its borders, with plans to deploy an additional 200,000-300,000 soldiers.
Umerov reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to reclaiming all its territory, including Crimea. However, he emphasized that the primary military objective in the coming months is to maintain defensive positions and suppress Russian forces while enhancing Ukraine’s military capabilities in the air, at sea, and on land.
He concluded by expressing optimism about the delivery of the F-16 fighter jets, expecting them to arrive “hopefully very, very soon.”
