Belgian PM Bart De Wever wants the EU to obtain a mandate to negotiate with Moscow in order to help end the Ukraine War, warning that Europe risks being sidelined if it is not directly involved in future peace talks.
In an interview with the Belgian newspaper L’Echo, De Wever argued that forcing Russia into defeat would only be realistic with full U.S. support, which he suggested is uncertain. Without stronger leverage—either military or economic—he said diplomacy may be the only remaining path to ending the war.
“We’re losing on all fronts. We must end the conflict in Europe’s interest, without being naive about Putin. … It’s common sense. In private, European leaders tell me I’m right, but no one dares to say it out loud,” De Wever said. The Belgian prime minister added that Europe should eventually move toward a “normalisation” of relations with Moscow and regain access to cheaper energy supplies, while at the same time strengthening its defence capabilities and military readiness.
His statements echo the views of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has long argued that Russia cannot be defeated on the battlefield and that the EU’s current approach only prolongs the damage and suffering caused by the war.
At the same time, De Wever said Ukraine should be integrated into the European family but questioned what the EU could offer to convince Russia to accept this, especially given that the bloc itself is not united on the issue.
At the end of last year, the Belgian leader also refused to allow the EU to use the €210 billion in frozen Russian state assets held in Belgium to support Ukraine, a decision that drew significant criticism from the EU establishment.
