Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever intends to primarily focus on increased defence expenditures and NATO's support for Ukraine at the NATO summit in Ankara.
There is a possibility that the new American strikes on Iran will overshadow the summit, but De Wever (N-VA) emphasises that this is "not a NATO matter."
De Wever considers it important for allies to express their support for Ukraine. "We will allocate €70 billion in military aid to Ukraine twice. That's a red card for Putin. And everyone knows that a red card cannot be withdrawn easily," De Wever said, adding that he did not want to comment further on questions about football.
De Wever "regrets" that US President Donald Trump immediately made negative remarks about other NATO member states upon his arrival in Ankara. He points out that Belgium and other European countries have "responded" to the American request to increase defence spending. "We are also actively developing the industrial base. It's not progressing fast enough yet, but we are working on it."
"We rely on NATO for our security. And the United States is our most important partner. That doesn't change just because a president is somewhat critical of the organisation," he added. "Trump is very critical. He will undoubtedly express his views, and we will listen to him, but that is no reason to question the existence of the alliance."
Regarding the strikes on Iran, which threaten to overshadow NATO, De Wever concludes that it is "actually not a NATO matter." "NATO Article 5 concerns collective defence. It does not say that if you decide to attack yourself, all other partners must participate. If that is expected, then it is not appropriate."
He also reiterates that Belgium will likely contribute to demining the Strait of Hormuz, as part of a British-French initiative. This requires an international mandate, and a ceasefire must be in place. "Whether those conditions are met is a government decision," he said. "But I have that impression."
