Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said the European Union should normalize relations with Russia to restore access to cheaper energy, according to a March 14 interview with L'Echo. De Wever argued that Europe should pursue a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine because, without full U.S. support, it cannot sufficiently pressure Moscow through arms deliveries to Kyiv or economic measures.

Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has committed hundreds of billions of euros in military and financial support to Kyiv while maintaining sanctions on Moscow, and De Wever has previously challenged parts of that approach, including by blocking a European Commission plan to use Russian sovereign assets frozen in Belgium to support a loan for Ukraine. In the March 14 interview with L'Echo, he said some European leaders privately share his view that the war should be brought to an end. De Wever's position has drawn domestic pushback, including from Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot.