Belgian PM Urges EU to Engage Directly with Russia to Resolve Ukraine War
In an interview published on Saturday, De Wever argued that the EU has been unable to compel Russia to retreat through military support for Kiev or economic measures alone, warning that exclusion from direct negotiations could result in “a bad agreement.”
“Since we are not capable of threatening [Russian President Vladimir] Putin by sending weapons to Ukraine, and we cannot choke him economically without the support of the US, there is only one method left: making a deal,” he said.
De Wever added: “Without a mandate to go and negotiate in Moscow, we are not at the negotiating table where the Americans will push Ukraine to accept a deal. And I can already say that it will be a bad agreement for us.”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, a long-time advocate for diplomatic solutions, voiced support for De Wever’s position, noting that “new voices of common sense are emerging in the EU who understand that the strategy of weakening Russia by supporting the war in Ukraine is not working.” He added on social media: “If the EU as an institution asks for a mandate for peace negotiations, I would vote for it with all my heart.”
Last year, US President Donald Trump proposed a peace roadmap urging Ukraine to cede some territory to Russia, but Kiev and its European allies rejected the plan, considering it too favorable to Moscow. The EU has committed approximately €195 billion (~$210 billion) to Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict and remains determined to keep pressure on Russia.
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