Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received a $1 billion military aid pledge from Belgium, including 30 F-16 fighter jets over four years, Associated Press reports.
Zelensky met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and obtained a security agreement ensuring military help until Ukraine joins NATO. This follows a similar commitment from Spain for €1 billion in 2024 military aid and €5 billion by 2027. Zelensky also signed a bilateral agreement with Portugal, securing an additional €126 million euros in aid. However, Hungary continues to block EU military aid to Ukraine, stalling €6.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Netherlands promises to quickly assemble a Patriot air defense system, while NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg stressed the urgent need for more air defense systems in Ukraine.
Amid this, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that using Western-supplied weapons to hit Russian territory could escalate the conflict. Despite this, European countries consider deploying troops and giving seized Russian assets to Ukraine, aggravating Moscow.
