Severing Russian oil revenues only path to peace - Belgian Defense Minister
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken stated this via Facebook after his recent visit to Kyiv, Ukrinform reports, referring to the Belgian Embassy in Kyiv.
“Putin continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the still unoccupied parts of the regions and hand them over to Russia. These include such large cities as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. It is obvious that Ukraine will never agree to this. If Putin maintains this position, the peace process in Saudi Arabia will be doomed,” Franken explains.
In his opinion, the Russian delegation at the peace talks in Saudi Arabia is trying to mask their unwillingness to make peace by offering partial agreements, pretending to be constructive, but in practice – by offering a ceasefire only where Ukraine has the edge, that is, in attacks on naval vessels and energy facilities.
“Russia can continue to play this game, each time putting forward new demands, but never agreeing to a ceasefire where it really matters: on the front lines in Ukraine,” warns the Belgian defense minister.
Franken emphasizes that Russia’s Achilles heel is their oil export revenues, which account for half of all Russian state revenues. Therefore, he has called for a reduction in global oil prices, which have already fallen due to the U.S. trade war, and for the closure of loopholes for the Russian shadow fleet.
“The only path to peace seems to be to cut off Russia’s oil revenues. But the truce must also be sustainable. Putin will be tempted to attack again later and complete what he came for in 2022: the conquest of Ukraine. That is why such a peace agreement will require reliable security guarantees from as many countries as possible. Belgium is ready to contribute to this,” emphasizes Francken.
As reported, on April 8, Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, and Defense Minister Theo Francken visited Kyiv. During the visit, the Prime Minister announced the allocation of EUR 1 billion this year and the ambition to provide at least EUR 1 billion in military support annually throughout his term in office.
The Kingdom of Belgium is among the 20 largest donors to Ukraine, per capita, and has provided Ukraine with military, humanitarian, and reconstruction assistance worth over EUR 2.2 billion since the beginning of Russian aggression.
