PM De Wever visits Kyiv to underscore Belgian support for Ukraine
Prime minister Bart De Wever, Foreign minister Maxime Prévot and Defence minister Theo Francken travelled to Kyiv on Tuesday morning, as the government reiterates its continuing support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky had invited De Wever to Kyiv during their meeting in Brussels last month. The two will discuss the situation on the front line and further cooperation in the political, military and humanitarian fields.
De Wever will also use the opportunity to announce a further 1 billion euros in military aid. This would cover, among other things, the supply of ammunition, anti-aircraft systems and F-16s. The first fighter jets should be delivered by the end of this year, after Belgium receives its first F-35s.
Prior to the meeting with Zelensky, the Belgian delegation will travel to Bucha, a small town some 25km from Kyiv where Russia murdered hundreds of civilians and prisoners of war in 2022. In honour of the victims, De Wever will also lay a wreath at the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv.
Business representatives
The ministers are accompanied by around a dozen representatives of Belgian defence companies who want to see how Belgian industry can contribute its expertise to Ukrainian defence.
They also want to see how Ukraine has built up a huge defence capability in a short space of time. It can now produce up to 4 million drones a year. The expansion of defence production capacity has been high on the European and Belgian political agenda since the invasion.
The frozen Russian assets, held at the Euroclear securities centre in Brussels, will also be addressed. The Belgian government wants to use revenues from taxes on the profits Euroclear makes on these assets, totalling 1.2 billion euros this year, for the benefit of Ukraine.
However, Belgium remains wary of confiscating the assets. Just last month, De Wever warned that doing so could have huge financial and legal consequences and could be seen by Russia as an act of war.
In an interview with VRT, Zelensky's deputy Justice minister, Iryna Mudra, argued that these assets should be placed in a separate fund for Ukraine's defence and reconstruction. This, she said, was not tantamount to confiscation and would avoid the sudden release of the assets in July should Hungary veto an extension of the sanctions.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and prime minister Bart De Wever after a meeting in Brussels, 6 March 2025 © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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