Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever said that the European Union must have a seat at the table when peace talks with Russia touch on issues of interest to the community, Belga news agency reported, quoted by BTA.
Like many other European leaders at the EU summit in Brussels, De Wever noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no signs of being ready for serious negotiations that would lead to a sustainable and acceptable solution to the war in Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the heads of state and government exchanged views yesterday on how possible future negotiations should be organized.
De Wever stressed that only a representative of the EU institutions can conduct talks on behalf of the Union on issues that fall within its competence. According to him, this is primarily the President of the European Council Antonio Costa.
"There is no consensus, on the contrary, on sending another representative to Moscow to speak on behalf of the EU", said the Belgian Prime Minister.
He recalled that economic and financial sanctions against Russia, including the freezing of assets of the Russian Central Bank, were introduced at the European Union level.
However, security guarantees for Ukraine are the responsibility of individual countries, De Wever noted.
In his words, "it is not a bad approach"; the so-called coalition of those willing to be represented by France, Germany and Britain in discussing security issues.
Before the start of the summit, De Wever met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the Belgian Prime Minister, Zelensky also insists that representatives of Europe participate in possible negotiations in order to protect the interests of the EU. "This strengthens its position," De Wever said.
EU leaders ended the first day of the summit with a discussion on trade relations with China. They discussed the EU's growing trade deficit with Beijing and concerns that Chinese state subsidies are encouraging overproduction and leading to the entry of cheap goods into the European market. According to a diplomatic source, participants stressed the need for a "constructive dialogue" with China, but also called on the European Commission to expand its tools to protect European trade interests.
The leaders also agreed that the EU must increase its own competitiveness and continue to diversify its trade partnerships.
The second and final day of the summit began today with a discussion on the EU's new multiannual financial framework for the period 2028-2034.