Europe underinvests in defense, lacks strong position in peace talks — Belgium’s FM

Prévot said this in an interview with Espreso TV while visiting Kyiv region on April 8.

“Europe failed to invest enough in defense, that is why today we do not look like a counterpart for the negotiations process. But Ukraine is in Europe and there will be no just solution to the war and no peace process is possible without Ukraine and Europe at the table. We respect all the initiative by the U.S. president, but it is important to remind him that there is an aggressor and there is a victim. The territorial sovereignty of Ukraine is a key issue for Belgium,” the diplomat said. 

He added that Europe plays an important role in supporting Ukraine, but it lacks the leverage to force Russia into a ceasefire. Ukraine has shown a willingness to accept a truce without preconditions, while Russia has not.

“The EU continues to stand by Ukraine, but it lacks the leverage to force the Russian president to accept the ceasefire. Ukraine has shown a willingness to accept a ceasefire without preconditions, while Russia has not, making it a major problem in negotiations. The focus remains on finding a fair solution that respects Ukraine's position,” Prévot said.

The minister said that Belgium continues to strongly support Ukraine, both militarily and humanitarianly. 

Apart from €1 billion in aid this year, Belgium is investing €115 million through its development agency in education, healthcare, and child protection programs, and is building a seventh bomb shelter to protect over 3,000 students and teachers. 

Read also Belgium pledges €1 billion military aid package for Ukraine, ready to consider peacekeepers

Prévot emphasized that support must go beyond weapons and focus on long-term humanitarian and social resilience.

Ukraine's path to the EU, how it's membership bid progresses

Maxime Prévot said that he had a deep and very meaningful discussion with his colleague Andrii Sybiha. He noted that trust in a counterpart is important, and this was indeed the case with the Ukrainian government. He added that they would try to identify existing obstacles and ways to improve cooperation in order to find a constructive path toward a peaceful resolution. However, he emphasized that while Europe would continue to stand by and with Ukraine, it did not have the key to force the Russian leader to agree to a ceasefire.

He added that he admired the fact that Ukraine, as the victim of aggression, had already accepted the possibility of a ceasefire without any preconditions. Russia, however, had not done so yet, which was, of course, a key issue. He emphasized that they must work together to find a dignified solution that would respect Ukraine's position.