De Wever assures Zelensky of continued Belgian support
Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever reaffirmed Belgium’s unwavering support for Ukraine during a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels. He also underscored that peace negotiations with Russia cannot take place without Ukraine’s involvement and that Europe must be represented at the table.
The meeting on Thursday morning at De Wever's office on Rue de la Loi 16 was their first in-person encounter following a phone call in late February. Their discussion took place ahead of the extraordinary European summit in Brussels, where Zelensky was also present.
Europe's seat at the table
“Ukraine can continue to count on our support,” De Wever said, confirming the necessity of Ukrainian participation in any future peace talks. His remarks came amid reports that the US had engaged in discussions with Russia without Kyiv’s involvement. Additionally, he insisted that “no decisions on Europe should be made without European representation”.
De Wever directly condemned Russia’s role as the aggressor in the conflict, refuting US president Donald Trump’s recent claim that Ukraine had instigated the war. The Ukrainian delegation expressed gratitude for Belgium’s continued political, financial and military support.
Arriving at the summit, Zelensky called for additional European backing. “Today we are in Europe, and it is important that the support of our European partners continues,” he said.
© BELGA VIDEO MAARTEN WEYNANTS
Following a private discussion between De Wever and Zelensky, broader consultations took place with Defence minister Theo Francken, Ukrainian Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrij Jermak.
During their conversation, De Wever confirmed that he and members of his government would accept Zelensky’s invitation to visit Kyiv “as soon as possible”. While no date has been set, Francken suggested the visit could take place “within a few weeks”, with representatives from the Belgian defence industry expected to join.
However, De Wever urged caution regarding the deployment of European troops to Ukraine, saying such a move would only be feasible after a peace agreement with “sufficient security guarantees”. He acknowledged the possibility of Belgian troop deployment under those conditions but said that “without American support, that seems unrealistic to me”.
With growing uncertainty over the US's reliability as an ally, Europe is significantly ramping up its defence efforts. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, European defence spending has surged by 30 per cent to 326 billion euros in 2024, with further increases of hundreds of billions expected. This influx has driven European defence stocks to record highs, while previous hesitancy to invest in arms production is diminishing.
De Wever criticised Trump’s approach. “What Trump is doing is very un-European,” he said. “He is also a real bully.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever meet in Brussels ahead of an exceptional European summit, 6 March 2025 to discuss support for Ukraine © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
Related news
