Prime Minister of Belgium Bart De Wever at the BEDEX Defence Fair in Brussels, 12 March 2026. © Photonews / Getty Images
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever called on the EU to negociate straight with Moscow, arguing that diplomacy is the only real way to end the conflict in Ukraine.
In an interview with the Belgian paper L’Echo, published on Saturday, De Wever argued that the block failed to force Moscow to retreat solely through military aid to Kiev or economical pressure.
He warned that the EU would end up with ‘bad agreement’, if it is removed from negotiations.
"If we cannot endanger [the president of Russia Vladimir] Putin by sending weapons to Ukraine, and we cannot strangle him economically without US support, there is only 1 method left: to conclude a contract" – he said.
"Without a mandate to negociate in Moscow, we do not sit at the negotiating table where the Americans will press Ukraine to accept the agreement. And I can say right now that this will be a bad deal for us" – he added.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has long advocated a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, full supported De Wever's appeal, saying that "There are fresh voices of common sense in the EU that realize that the strategy of weakening Russia by supporting the war in Ukraine does not work".
"If the EU as an institution asks for a mandate for peace negotiations, I will vote wholeheartedly" – Fico wrote on Saturday in a Facebook post.
Last year, U.S. president Donald Trump proposed a peace plan, calling on Ukraine to surrender parts of Russia's territories. Kiev and its European supporters rejected his allegedly 28-point plan as besides beneficial to Moscow.
Brussels, which since the escalation of the conflict has committed to giving Ukraine any EUR 195 billion, has announced maintaining force on Russia.
EU representatives were excluded from the US talks between Moscow and Kiev in Abu Dhabi and Geneva earlier this year.
De Wever had previously opposed EU proposals to confiscate frozen Russian state assets held in Europe to safe a debt of EUR 90 billion for Kiev, claiming that specified a step could be equivalent to “a declaration of war” Moscow.
After Axel Springer's portal called it Politico "Russian most valuable asset"the Belgian Prime Minister argued that "Real policies" He shouldn't be emotional.
Belgium faces the top legal and financial risks, as most Russian money – EUR 185 billion ($216 billion) – is deposited in the Belgian clearing home Euroclear.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.rt.com/news/635020-deal-with-russia-belgian-pm/