Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) will take part in a new consultation on Ukraine on Wednesday. He has received an invitation and will participate remotely.
After French President Emmanuel Macron brought ten European and NATO leaders together on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine (Belgium was not invited) a new consultation will be organised in Paris on Wednesday.
This time, Belgium, Norway, Canada, the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Czechia, Greece, Finland, Romania and Sweden are said to have been invited, Reuters reports.
De Wever's spokesperson on Tuesday evening confirmed to Belga News Agency that the Prime Minister will be taking part in the consultation, at the invitation of the Elysée. He will follow the meeting online.
'Real peace talks'
In addition to Macron, the leaders of the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark took part in the first meeting on Monday. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also participated.
While De Wever was not invited to that first meeting, he did briefly meet Costa on Tuesday. Additionally, he also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, on Wednesday morning, revealed Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) during a current affairs debate in the House of Representatives.
France called the emergency meeting after US President Donald Trump indicated that he wanted to start negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible, but seemingly did not want to involve the EU.
Belgian PM Bart De Wever (left) and António Costa. Credit: European Union
The first meeting between the US and Russia took place on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, without anyone representing the EU or Ukraine present. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced in the meantime that Europe would be involved in "real peace talks".
The leaders concluded on Monday in Paris that they are indeed prepared to offer Ukraine security guarantees and that they want to increase defence spending. There was no consensus on a European peacekeeping force.
Macron confirmed to the press on Tuesday evening that he is organising a new meeting with "several European and non-European countries". Trump "can restart a useful dialogue" with Russian President Vladimir Putin," he said.
"He is creating strategic ambiguity for President Putin by using very strong words and creating uncertainty, which can help to exert pressure," he said. Macron himself wants to speak to Putin "at the appropriate time in the cycle of negotiations that will come."
