Prime Minister Alexander De Croo praised Europe's unity and rapid response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine but warned that the consequences of the war will also be felt in Belgium.
During a press conference on Tuesday, De Croo said that Europe has shown itself "swift" and "united" by sending aid to Ukraine and imposing strict sanctions on Russia.
"Everyone realises that our strength lies in the fact that we are 450 million people and 27 countries, all standing shoulder to shoulder, working towards the same goal," he said.
However, he emphasised that the EU and Belgium will also feel the consequences of Russia's counter-sanctions. "We have to be transparent and honest about that: a war leads to instability. We are going to feel it."
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Belgium is therefore urging the European Commission to put forward a package of measures to cushion the economic impact as much as possible. "We will deal with this by showing solidarity at the European level as well as within our country. We will certainly overcome this blow, but we will only do so by acting together."
While De Croo said that it is impossible to predict how the situation will develop in the coming weeks, he underlined that Europe can also count on help from other parts of the world.
"We have good partners throughout the world, such as the United States, Canada and Switzerland, who are increasingly aligning themselves with the European line," he said. "That collective response is the best guarantee for our security."
