Belgian and Slovak Leaders Urge EU to Negotiate with Moscow for Peace

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever argued that Europe cannot force Russian President Vladimir Putin to capitulate and that a negotiated agreement with Russia is necessary, while Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called for the EU to be granted a formal mandate to negotiate with Moscow, according to reports published on March 14 and 15, 2026.

De Wever, who has served as Prime Minister of Belgium since February 2025, stated that it will not be possible to bring Russia "to its knees" and called for a normalization of relations with Moscow, according to reporting by multiple outlets including Interia and Radio Zet. He argued that European leaders broadly believe an agreement must be reached with Russia rather than continuing to fight, a framing that drew attention across European media. The Belgian prime minister's remarks were described by Polish outlets as surprising and troubling, reflecting the degree to which his position diverges from the dominant tone among many EU member states that have backed sustained military and financial support for Ukraine. De Wever did not, according to available sourcing, call for an end to that support, but his emphasis on the necessity of a deal with Russia marked a notable shift in public rhetoric from a leader of a founding EU nation.

Slovakia and Belgium are both founding or long-standing members of the EU and NATO alliance structures. Slovakia, under Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has served as the country's prime minister since 2023 and holds the distinction of being the longest-serving prime minister in Slovak history, has increasingly diverged from the EU mainstream on policy toward Russia and Ukraine. According to Reuters, the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian crude had been out of operation since January 2026, and Fico met EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in March 2026 to push for a restart of oil flows. Reuters also reported in early March 2026 that Slovakia amended its Gazprom gas contract, seeking to raise Russian imports ahead of an anticipated EU ban.

Fico's call for the EU to receive a negotiating mandate with Moscow, reported by ANSA on March 15, 2026, aligns with a broader pattern of Slovak pressure on both Ukraine and EU institutions over energy supplies. Slovakia has been involved in disputes with Ukraine over the suspension of Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, with Fico stating in late February 2026 that Ukraine had no interest in resuming oil transit, according to web search results. The convergence of De Wever's and Fico's public statements — coming from the prime ministers of Belgium and Slovakia respectively — signals that calls for a negotiated settlement with Russia are gaining some traction among EU government heads, even as the majority of the bloc has maintained a posture of support for Ukraine. The two leaders represent distinct political traditions and geographic contexts within the EU, making the alignment of their public positions on Russia noteworthy to analysts tracking intra-EU cohesion on the war in Ukraine.