In the followingmath of the Russian invasion, on February 24, 2022, the Belgian embassy in Ukraine closed its doors. Consular services exiled in Poland returned to Kyiv 5 months later. How does an embassy work in a country at war? Our special envoys in Ukraine met the Belgian ambassador in kyiv.
We visit the Belgian embassy in kyiv, with the ambassador himself as our guide. Peter Van De Velde shows us one detail among others. “On the windows there is an anti-blast film (explosion), as it is called. It’s a film that will prevent you from being injured by shards of glass“, he confides. “We’ve already had a missile fall 750 meters from here, which isn’t that far. If it gets closer to 200 or 100 meters, then the windows will blow“, says the ambassador.
Another precaution, Peter Van De Velde takes us to the kitchen installed in the cellar. It is now the missile shelter. “It’s an old building, the walls are solid“, confides the ambassador. We ask him if he has already used the premises. “All the time, all the time! And then we settle here, we put our little computer, and we continue the work“, he replies.
We then ask the ambassador if he is ever afraid. “Let’s say there is stress, normal stress. But when we are prepared, when we have done what is necessary, we assume, we cross our fingers and we assume. We do like the Ukrainians following all“, explains the diplomat.
If there are power cuts, there are cables, extension cords and power strips in the middle of the stairs connected to generators. If there are heating failures, there is a chimney swept and wood. It’s system D, just in case.
This is the daily diplomatic work
Peter Van De Velde took office last July. He reopened the embassy, a position for which he applied. This question remains: what is the job of an ambassador in a country at war? “It’s not symbolic at all. This is daily diplomatic work. We have very good relations with our Ukrainian colleagues. Belgium was one of the first countries to provide military aid. We also provided a lot of humanitarian aid. What was noticed. You may have seen how President Zelensky kissed the Prime Minister when he came to visit, it was not a show“, says the diplomat.
Peter Van De Velde should stay in Ukraine for at least two years as Belgian ambassador. He tells us that he is impressed by the Ukrainians and by their conviction that they will win this war.