US an ally of European continent and it should be same in future: Belgium Foreign Minister

NEW DELHI: Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot said on Tuesday that the US has been an ally of the European continent and should remain so in the future.

In an interview, Prevot stressed that Belgium considers the US an ally but they also need to be clear-headed and that it’s time to reinforce its strategic capacities, particularly from the military point of view.

On US suspending all aid to Ukraine, Maxime Prevot said, “Everybody sees that the times are changing, they are more complicated. And we have the impression that each week, it seems that time is panning up by a decade. So, the United States have already been an ally of the European continent and it should be the same in the future.”

“We in Belgium continue to consider the United States as an ally but we also need to be clear-headed and that now it’s time to reinforce our own strategic capacities, certainly from a military point of view, and we also need to not only have a look on one direction, and so to reinforce the partnership with such geopolitical power a country like India,” he added.

His statement comes after US President Donald Trump paused military aid to Ukraine after the Oval Office clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, Fox News reported.

According to Fox News, the Trump administration is pausing all aid to Ukraine, including weapons in transit or in Poland, until Ukrainian leaders show more appreciation for US support and a commitment to peace.

A senior Trump administration official told Fox News that military aid will remain on hold until Ukrainian leaders show a commitment to good faith peace negotiations.”This is not permanent termination of aid, it’s a pause,” a senior Trump administration official emphasized. “The orders are going out right now.”

Last week, during media interaction with Ukraine President at the Oval Office, Trump used some strong words, telling the visiting leader that Volodymyr Zelenskyy “does not have the cards” and is not “acting thankful” for the support the United States has provided to Ukraine in its war with Russia, which began in February 2022.

The two leaders had an exchange in an explosive press conference with the Ukrainian President emphasising the need of security guarantees and noting that the Russian President Vladimir Putin had continued with his actions against his country even during Trump’s first term as President.

US Vice President JD Vance also expressed his disapproval of Zelenskyy’s remarks, saying it is “disrespectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country.” Trump emphasised the need for a deal to bring peace and prevent killings and told Zelenskyy, “If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks”. (ANI)