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New Belgian PM Visits Bucha, Slams Russia as Aggressor, Vows Massive Support for Ukraine

Apr 08, 2025 15:51

2 min read

Authors: Vlad Litnarovych
Author

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever before their press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 8, 2025. (Source: Bart_DeWever/X)

Belgium’s new Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, has pledged to provide Ukraine with $1.1 billion (€1 billion) annually for defense and confirmed that the first Belgian-supplied F-16 fighter jets will be delivered to Ukraine as early as 2025, Ukrainian media outlet Unian reported on April 8.

During his first international visit in office, De Wever traveled to Bucha — a city near Kyiv that became a symbol of Russian war atrocities — where he publicly condemned Russia as the aggressor and reaffirmed Belgium’s unwavering support for Ukraine.

Belgium has already signed four contracts for joint weapons production with Ukraine, according to De Wever. Under these agreements, Belgium will become the leading supplier of F-16s to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the first deliveries scheduled for this year.

Ukrainian President thanked Belgium for their support and added, “We are also grateful for Belgium’s participation in the program to strengthen our military aviation. We are working on the delivery of F-16s from Belgium. In general, Belgium has been supporting us consistently since the first days of the full-scale invasion.”

Previously, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever arrived in Ukraine for an official visit, traveling alongside Foreign Minister Maxim Prevot and Defense Minister Theo Francken.

“Arriving in Ukraine by night train this morning, alongside Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Defence Minister Theo Francken, is more than a symbolic gesture,” Prevot wrote on social media. “It is a mission of solidarity, of hope, and of unwavering support for a generation of Ukrainians fighting for their freedom and their future.”

The first stop for the Belgian delegation was the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv—a name that, as Prevot put it, “has become synonymous with horror and with resilience.”

“Three years ago today, Bucha was liberated from Russian occupation,” he wrote.

Earlier, Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals who were fighting alongside Russian troops in the Donetsk region.