In September, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval said Belgium would consider the proposal by the government's liberal wing to send from two to four F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in 2024, Sputnik reported.

Dedonder, for her part, said that the amount of F-16 fighter jets to be sent to Kiev would depend on the development of Belgium's new F-35 capabilities, the broadcaster reported.

In mid-July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any delivery of the F-16 fighter jets would lead to a further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine because the aircraft have been modified to make them nuclear-capable and, as such, represent a direct threat to Russia.