Prime minister Bart De Wever, defence minister Theo Francken and Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prévot are in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. This morning they visited the town of Bucha, where Russian troops killed hundreds of civilians at the beginning of the full-scale war. ‘We have seen this many times in history, but it remains incredible,’ an emotional Mr De Wever responded. The Belgian leader also met president Zelensky of Ukraine announcing a billion euros in military aid for the country in 2025.
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PM De Wever in Kyiv: "Our ambition, a billion a year in military aid for Ukraine"
Colin Clapson
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Prime minister De Wever (Flemish nationalist N-VA) and ministers Francken (N-VA) and Prévot (Francophone centrist Les Engagés) arrived by overnight train from Poland this morning.
They first visited the town of Bucha, which has become a symbol of the horror of war in Ukraine.
Here, 3 years ago, in the first months of the war, more than 500 civilians were killed by Russian troops.
The ministers visited a photo exhibition in a church, with images of the gruesome discoveries made 3 years ago.
‘Three years ago, next to the church, a mass grave was discovered where dozens of people were buried,’ says VRT News’s Marijn Trio, who is in Ukraine with the PM.
The visit moved all three ministers. Prime minister De Wever was clearly emotional. Remembering his father’s ties with the country.
Belgian foreign Minister Prévot shared photos of the visit to Bucha on social media platform X.
‘Bucha is not an isolated case,’ he writes. "From Mariupol to Izium, from Kramatorsk to Kherson, the pattern is the same: terror, torture, mass killings. These are not tragic mistakes of war. These are war crimes. Systematic. Calculated. Deliberate".
"Today we honour the victims. We stand with the survivors. And we reaffirm this: Belgium stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. Justice must prevail. And we will not look away."
Meeting with president Zelensky
To honour the Ukrainian victims of the war, prime minister De Wever laid a wreath at the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv.
After the ceremony, the three ministers will each follow their own programme. Prime minister De Wever met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They discussed the situation at the front and further cooperation in the political, military and humanitarian fields.
Mr Zelensky invited PM De Wever last month during their first meeting in Brussels. It is the premier’s first visit to Ukraine.
PM De Wever pledges a billion euros
Speaking at a joint press conference with president Zelensky Belgian PM Bart De Wever said Belgium’s new government had taken fresh decisions with regard to Ukraine. Belgian defence minister Theo Francken was on hand to announce a 1 billion euro aid package for Ukraine in 2025. Mr De Wever’s ambition is to release at least a billion euros a year for Ukraine in bilateral military aid during the present parliament. “Defence minister Francken has drawn up an entire menu of things we want to do for Ukraine in the near future” the PM told Ukrainian media.
Defence industrialists travelled along
Mr De Wever and the two other ministers are in Ukraine to see what Belgium can do to continue supporting Ukraine militarily. They are accompanied by a dozen representatives of Belgian defence companies, including people from FN Herstal and John Cockerill.
They want to see for themselves how in Ukraine Belgian industry can contribute its specialised expertise and technological know-how to the defence of Ukraine. The sector accounts for an annual turnover of €5 billion and 16,000 direct jobs.
The Belgian industrialists can also learn a thing or two from Ukraine, which in a short time and out of necessity has built up a huge defence capability . Today, the country can produce up to 4 million drones a year. Scaling up defence production capacity has also been high on the European and Belgian political agenda since the full-scale invasion.