Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prévot has criticised the United States' proposal at the UN to equate Russia and Ukraine in the context of the ongoing war between the two.
On Friday, the US suggested a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly that omitted any mention of Ukraine's territorial integrity. European nations spent the weekend voicing opposition to this initiative and condemning Russian actions.
On Monday, the EU adopted its 16th package of sanctions against Moscow to mark the third anniversary of Russia's fullscale invasion of Ukraine. According to the European Council, the sanctions "target vital sectors of the Russian economy and weaken the regime's ability to wage its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine."
"This is a crucial day for territorial integrity and sovereignty," Prévot stated. "There is an aggressor and a victim," he said while attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council for the first time.
Belgium condemns Rwanda
Prévot stressed the need for a similar approach regarding the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where international law violations must be widely condemned.
Belgium has been actively pushing for the condemnation of Rwanda's support for the M23 rebel group in eastern DRC. "I hope my colleagues now see the importance of sanctioning Rwanda," the minister added.
On Friday, the UN Security Council condemned Rwanda for its support of M23 for the first time.
