Belgium has pledged to deliver 611 million euros ($665 million) in military aid to Ukraine in 2024, said Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s Defense Minister, after a phone conversation with his Belgian counterpart Ludivine Dedonder on Jan. 22.

The announcement was significant because the figure was more than the entire amount Belgium has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war, 496 million euros ($540 million).

According to the Belgian government’s Foreign Affairs website, Belgium has allocated 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in support for Ukraine through the end of 2025.

Belgium is one of the 11 founding countries in the “fighter jet coalition” established in July that aims to train Ukrainians to operate F-16s.

The Belgian Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 4 that it will send two F-16 fighter jets and 50 training personnel to Denmark from March to September to support the training of Ukrainian pilots.

Umerov said on Jan. 22 that he “discussed the recent developments on the front lines and the prospects of defense cooperation between our countries” with Dedonder.

He added that he was “grateful for Belgium’s participation in the air force capability coalition, particularly in the pilot training program.”

Read also: Opinion: Poland’s reckoning with populist misrule

We’ve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.