Since the EU cannot strangle Russia, it remains to conclude a deal with it — De Wever

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever called on the European Union to start negotiations with Russia on ending the Ukrainian conflict. He stated this in an interview with the Belgian newspaper L'Echo.

De Wever said that the European Union needs to get a mandate from member states to negotiate with Moscow, since the current methods of pressure on Russia does not bring results.

"Since we are not able to threaten Vladimir Putin by supplying weapons to Ukraine, and we cannot strangle it economically without the support of the United States, there is only one way left — to conclude a deal," said the Belgian prime minister, quoted by Strana.

It would be possible to break Russia only with "100% US support," he added.

As reported by EADaily, the European Union extended the sanctions list for Russia, which includes 2.6 thousand individuals and legal entities, for six months.

"The Council The EU has decided to extend the restrictive measures against those who undermined or threatened the territorial integrity of Ukraine for another 6 months, until September 15, 2026," the EU Council said in a statement.