In Brussels, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held separate meetings with the Prime Ministers of Spain and Belgium to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine, coordination on the peace process, and European integration.
During his meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of European involvement at every stage of negotiations with the U.S. administration to ensure a dignified peace that guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty and strengthens European security. The President expressed gratitude for Spain’s continued defense assistance, including the supply of IRIS-T missiles, participation in the PURL initiative, and support through the SAFE instrument. The leaders also discussed Ukraine’s urgent needs, particularly the reinforcement of air defense capabilities.
Zelenskyy noted Spain’s backing of all EU sanctions packages against Russia and highlighted Ukraine’s expectations for the 20th package, which should target Russia’s banking sector, shadow fleet, dual-use technologies, oligarchs, and propagandists. The discussions also focused on Ukraine’s path toward European Union membership, seen as a crucial element of long-term security guarantees.
Separately, the Ukrainian President met with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Zelenskyy thanked Belgium and its citizens for unwavering support since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, noting the country’s contribution to the PURL initiative.
A key topic was the use of frozen Russian assets to benefit Ukraine. Zelenskyy acknowledged Belgium’s concerns but stressed that a decision on the reparations loan is necessary to ensure fairness and long-term predictability for Ukraine. The leaders also discussed coordination with Europe and the United States in the peace negotiation process, Ukraine’s EU integration, energy sector support, and reconstruction efforts.
