The Belgian Defence Ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to providing material aid to Ukraine following French President Emmanuel Macron's comments about sending Western troops to the country.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has since clarified that the military alliance has "no plans" to send troops to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has warned that it would go to war with NATO if Macron's proposal came to fruition.
In this context, the Belgian Defence Ministry has emphasised the continued provision of material aid to Ukraine, stating that "all necessary material aid" remains a "priority" for Belgium.
The country will provide €611 million in military aid to Ukraine in 2024, as well as "actively participating in six coalitions backing the Ukrainian armed forces and their training."
Fraught context
Macron floated the idea of sending troops to Ukraine following a meeting between 20 world leaders (mostly European) in Paris on Monday. He stated that there was no consensus during the meeting but the move was "discussed as an option".
"Nothing is off the table," he said. "We will do everything necessary to ensure that Russia cannot win this war."
Along with NATO and Belgium, leaders from other European countries including Poland, Germany and Sweden have refuted the strategy for now.
Nevertheless, the French President's statement has added to an already-fraught security situation on the continent. Trump's comments about NATO members two weeks ago prompted a renewed debate about the need for European autonomy, and the Belgian camp has been vocal on this point.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD). Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
This weekend, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) stated that his party was prepared to cut healthcare spending and unemployment benefits in favour of reaching NATO spending targets six years earlier than planned. This provoked intense disapproval from political opponents.
"Security, yes! But not to the detriment of social security!" Defence Minister Ludovide Dedonder (PS) wrote on social media. "We have other solutions, such as taxing wealth to finance public services."
