Europe will protect its own interests and support Ukraine – Belgian PM

The European Union will hold a security dialogue with the United States, but support for Ukraine has already been included in the plans of the EU countries and it does not depend on a possible change of position by Donald Trump.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said this before a summit of the European Political Community in Budapest on Thursday.

"The whole idea that support for Ukraine stands or collapses with a possible change of position by the United States is not true. I hope we can have an open conversation with the U.S. on the continuation of their support. But if they decide to change, this does not mean that we need to change our priorities," he said.

According to him, half of military support for Ukraine comes from the EU countries, and its continuation has already been included in the EU's plans.

"All of us have been doing that over the past years. And it is clearly written in the plans of each of the countries that we will continue doing so and we should be very clear about this. European security is not something we outsource," the Belgian government official emphasized.

In his opinion, it would be better for the United States and Europe to work together, but the EU is ready to defend its own goals in dialogue with the Americans.

"We have a whole agenda that we want to discuss over the next few months before President Trump takes office. I hope that there will be an open dialogue. If it is not there, Europe will protect its own interests," De Croo said.