Brussels, March 14 (SANA) Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Saturday called on European Union member states to grant the bloc a mandate to engage in direct talks with Moscow, amid stalled efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
De Wever told AFP that Europe’s options for influencing Russia are limited. “Since we are not capable of threatening Vladimir Putin by sending weapons to Ukraine, and we cannot choke him economically without the support of the U.S., there is only one method left: making a deal,” he said.
“Without a mandate to negotiate in Moscow, we are not at the table where the Americans will push Ukraine to accept a deal. And I can already say that it will be a bad agreement for us,” De Wever added.
The remarks come as several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, seek to resume contacts with Moscow amid concerns that the EU could be sidelined in discussions over a potential settlement to the conflict, which began in 2022.
Last month, EU member states failed to agree on a 20th package of sanctions against Russia. Brussels has already imposed 19 sanction packages on Moscow over the war, targeting trade, the financial and energy sectors, including oil and coal, as well as industry, technology, transport, dual-use goods, luxury items, gold, and diamonds.
M.Q.R
