Russia has not achieved any of its strategic goals in the war with Ukraine and must be weakened before any peace talks, while Ukraine, on the contrary, is strengthened, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo says.

De Croo said on Thursday at the Ukrainian Breakfast in Davos, organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, that he is convinced they can go to peace talks, but frankly, shouldn't they first strengthen Ukraine before starting peace talks? He emphasized that they should then discuss how to keep the peace and ensure that Russia does not pose a threat to them, European countries, or the rest of the world. He added that based on what he was hearing, it seemed like peace talks were around the corner, but he seriously doubted that. He believed they needed to strengthen Ukraine first and then see what happens.

At the same time, he noted the shifting of blame between Ukraine's partner countries and pointed out that this does not help. According to the Belgian Prime Minister, it is important to clearly identify who the enemy is, he once again stated that the enemy is Vladimir Putin and that the enemy is outside, not inside. He emphasized that they must be very clear: Putin must be weakened, and Ukraine must be strengthened.

De Croo noted that if they look at where they are today, with three years of war, Russia has not achieved any of its strategic goals - none of them. He also pointed out that the Russian economy had been significantly weakened, stressing the need to further strengthen sanctions against Russia.