Belgium says that Russia is ready to fight to the end
The prime minister of Belgium stated that, for Vladimir Putin, defeat in the war against Ukraine is unacceptable, even if it means taking harsh measures against his own population. Bart De Wever believes that the Russian leadership is willing to pay an extremely high price to continue the war. According to De Wever, Putin will not hesitate to use repression, human losses, or societal exhaustion to avoid defeat in the war against Ukraine.
HLN reports.
Belgian PM called on Europe to increase pressure on Russia
De Wever addressed the topic of frozen Russian assets. He noted that there are complex discussions about using these funds to finance aid to Ukraine and that reaching a consensus requires significant diplomatic efforts. He believes that the European Commission leadership must convince EU countries to compromise.
Meanwhile, the prime minister emphasized that hastily spending all the frozen Russian assets would be unwise. In his opinion, they should remain an important tool for pressuring the Kremlin during future negotiations. He discussed this position with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz.
De Wever warned that Europe cannot use the funds and rely on them as a negotiating tool simultaneously.
"You can’t have the cake three times and still eat it. And if we use this money to finance the war, we are also assuming that in two years the Russians will be exhausted. They are a resilient nation. A ruler like Putin can do anything: starve his own people, send them to the slaughter, and carry out genocide here and there. But lose a war? That’s something he cannot do," Bart De Wever stressed.
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