Belgian PM pledges new aid package to Ukraine worth $1.1B

Photo by Reuters

KYIV (Reuters) - Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on Tuesday his government had decided to grant Ukraine a new bilateral aid package of one billion euros ($1.10 billion) in 2025, adding that he had the ambition to deliver the war-torn country at least that same amount every year during his term.

During a press conference in Kyiv alongside Ukrainian President Volodmymyr Zelenskiy, he also said Belgium would make good on its pledge to deliver all the fighter planes that it had promised Ukraine.

"We will deliver two F-16s for spare parts this year and certainly deliver two fighter planes next year. We hope to do more but we are depending on the delivery of the F-35. There is no delay in Belgium but the F-35 has delays. Once the F-35 arrives, the F-16 leaves, it's a simple as that," De Wever said.

($1 = 0.9125 euros)

(Reporting by Dysa Yuliia and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by GV De Clercq)