Around 250 pro-Ukraine protesters demonstrated on Sunday afternoon outside the American embassy in Brussels.
The rally aimed to condemn the humiliation faced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his Friday evening meeting in the Oval Office with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The organiser Promote Ukraine advocates for Europe to develop its military autonomy in order to continue supporting Ukraine in its conflict against Russia.
The altercation between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House has outraged the international community. Among the shocked was Liza Bezvershenko, co-leader of the Belgian organisation Promote Ukraine. “We fear that the United States has swallowed Russian propaganda and sided with Russia,” she stated.
This is why Promote Ukraine protesters are mobilising today. They want to send a message “in the heart of Europe” that Europe must remain united. “Europe must organise its own defence to be at least as strong as that of the United States. European member states need to increase their arms production and take the lead,” she recommended.
The activist also called on the American people “to make their voices heard” to protect democracy across the Atlantic. “It is essential that the United States continues to support Ukraine. We will always try to maintain good relations with the United States, but right now, we cannot help expressing our concerns. A peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia must be fair,” she asserted. “Any negotiation with a terrorist state will result in further occupation and genocide,” Ms Bezvershenko argued.
“I am sure that the world still supports Ukraine,” the activist concluded.
