President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium Maxime Prévot.
The Head of State thanked the Minister for his visit to Ukraine, as well as the Government and people of Belgium for their support for our country.
“From the very beginning of this war, there have been very important decisions. We are grateful for this year, for one billion euros in support this year – this is very important. And we are grateful for the continuation of the F-16 program. I hope this will support our air fleet,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President spoke about diplomatic efforts to end the war and the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, especially as Russia constantly strikes Ukrainian cities and communities and ramps up missile production.
They discussed Belgium’s opportunities to help with the construction of shelters and the strengthening of sanctions, including preparations for the EU’s next 22nd package of sanctions against Russia.
The Head of State separately briefed the Minister on Russian strikes against Ukraine’s agricultural sector and food exports. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that this could create a crisis for many countries that depend on Ukrainian food and called for help with protecting it.
They also discussed work on the text of the Drone Deal between Ukraine and Belgium and possible dates for its signing.
Additional opportunities to help Ukraine ensure financial resilience were also discussed.
“We continue to provide support – military and financial. I am grateful to you for mentioning that this year we have already allocated 1.1 billion in financial support. And we are also participating in the PURL project – we have allocated a total of 200 million euros to PURL,” Maxime Prévot emphasized.
He noted that the Belgian development agency Enabel would continue implementing projects to support civilians. In particular, with its assistance, shelters have already been built, medical infrastructure has been repaired, and generators have been purchased for schools, kindergartens, and public utilities in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. According to Maxime Prévot, Belgium also plans to announce additional funding to support the healthcare sector, civil society, and warriors and civilians who suffered burns or injuries as a result of Russian strikes.
They discussed support for Ukraine on its path to the European Union. The President emphasized that our country is counting on the remaining four clusters being opened as soon as possible.
“We believe that in September there is a real chance to open one or two clusters for Ukraine. And, of course, we are counting on your role and this support,” the Head of State said.
They also discussed frozen Russian assets and Ukraine’s reconstruction process. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of dialogue not only between governments but also with businesses to involve them in rebuilding Ukraine.