Belgium will provide €611 million in military aid to Ukraine this year, Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder (PS) has confirmed.
Dedonder made this announcement on Monday during discussions with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, which was reported by Bloomberg. The Belgian Ministry of Defence confirmed these funds will be sourced from interest accrued on frozen Russian assets in Belgium.
Umerov had previously revealed on social media that he had a call with Dedonder about military support at the frontline. One topic of conversation was Belgium’s participation in a coalition of countries set to train Ukrainian pilots. Dedonder has since confirmed these commitments.
"Grateful for Belgium’s participation in the air force capability coalition, particularly in the pilot training programme," Umerov said. "Highly appreciate Belgium’s unwavering support for Ukraine. Belgium will provide €611 million in military aid this year and has a long-term commitment to supporting the modernization of our defence forces."
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union froze all Russian assets on its territory.
The majority are held in Belgium, specifically at Euroclear, a giant in international payment transactions. These assets amount to approximately €180 billion, from which Euroclear has been generating record-breaking profits.
