President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander De Croo, who is in our country on a working visit.
Welcoming the Prime Minister of Belgium to Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that this visit is taking place on the day when our state honors the memory of millions of Ukrainians who became victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933.
"The genocidal policy of the Kremlin, both then and now, against our citizens, against society, against the state, is aimed at the total subjugation and total destruction of the people of Ukraine. But now the Russian genocidal policy has gone far beyond the borders of our state, our continent – and threatens millions of people in many countries of the world. Russia has done everything to make the food crisis, which was provoked precisely by the blockade of Ukrainian ports and the war against our state, become extremely acute for many countries of the world," the President of Ukraine said during a meeting with media representatives following the negotiations with De Croo.
Zelenskyy said that our state, together with its partners, is doing everything to defuse this food crisis.
"And I am grateful to Belgium and personally to Mr. Prime Minister for effective solidarity in these conditions. One of the key issues that we discussed today, with which we started, was our Grain From Ukraine initiative. Belgium was the first to support it – joined it, providing funding for the implementation of humanitarian food supply to countries that are facing hardships," the Head of State said.
He expressed his conviction that thanks to joint efforts, millions of people in the poorest countries of Africa and Asia will be saved from hunger and related social cataclysms.
"Ukraine has always been and will remain the guarantor of world food security, and even in such harsh conditions of war, the Ukrainian leadership works for the sake of global stability," Zelenskyy said.
In addition, during the meeting, the parties discussed a wide range of issues of interstate cooperation, defense support, as well as the issue of toughening sanctions against Russia for terror and destabilization of global relations.
"We appreciate that Belgium is the leader in the volume of frozen Russian assets – EUR 50 billion, even more. It is important that the assets of the terrorist state are directed to compensation for the damage caused by its terror. We must do everything to ensure that this happens as soon as possible," Zelenskyy said.
The President also briefed the Prime Minister of Belgium on the state of Ukraine's power system after the Russian missile attacks, as well as about the needs of Ukraine.
"Belgium is ready to provide the necessary power generators and other equipment that is now vitally necessary for our society, for Ukraine as a whole," the Head of State said.
Zelenskyy also expressed his gratitude to Belgium for the already provided defense assistance and asked for its expansion. The President also thanked the head of the Belgian government for assistance in demining Ukrainian territories.
The parties also discussed in detail the interaction of the two states in the UN, in the structures of the European Union and at other international levels.
"I thank Belgium and the Prime Minister for the joint declaration signed today. This document testifies Belgium's support for our movement towards full membership in the European Union and NATO. We will definitely get this important result for us," the President of Ukraine said.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, said that it is a great honor for him to be in Ukraine and to show his support for our country and its people.
"I want to thank you and every Ukrainian on behalf of the people of Belgium for your leadership in these very difficult times, in this very difficult war. You show the whole world what is worth fighting for – democracy, an open society, where people treat each other with respect, and condemn senseless violence," he said.
As De Croo stated, in the conditions when Russia began to destroy civil infrastructure, depriving the population of Ukraine of power and water supply, it is necessary to continue supporting Ukrainians, because a very difficult winter is ahead.
"We are supplying generators, providing assistance to your schools, hospitals, and we hope that this will give you resilience in these difficult times," he said.
The Prime Minister of Belgium also said that Belgium was happy to support the very important initiative of the President of Ukraine – Grain From Ukraine.
"This initiative allows us to prevent possible problems with food supply in certain African countries. In addition, it supports your economy, Ukraine in this difficult period," De Croo said.
