“It is a moment of solidarity with the people of Ukraine who have shown incredible resilience in the face of a Russian leader (President Vladimir Putin) who has lost all sense of reason,” he said upon arriving at headquarters. in Brussels for a summit of Allied leaders entirely devoted to Russian aggression.
“But we will do everything to weaken Russia. The sanctions (decreed by the West) have a strong impact,” he added.
The Prime Minister recalled that Belgium was already present in two Eastern European countries close to Ukraine and Russia, with four F-16 fighters operating from Estonia to ensure the protection of space NATO air force, while some 300 Belgian soldiers were deployed in Romania as part of the Allied rapid reaction force.
“If we are asked to do more, we will show our solidarity,” he stressed.
“Today, at this summit, I am going to announce additional investments (notably in favor of Defence) over the next three years, in order to be more operational,” said Mr. De Croo, thus implicitly confirming the information published by the press according to which the main ministers agreed on Wednesday to invest one billion euros more in Defense by the end of the legislature in order to meet the increased demands of NATO.
Mr De Croo also called on China, an ally of Moscow, to stay away from Russia’s war in Ukraine, while stressing Russia’s isolation on the international scene.
“We have been very clear in our messages to China. Maintain distance,” he said, adding that “for now” that is the case.