Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has called for the EU to restart talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, calling it “the only option.”

“Since we are not capable of threatening Vladimir Putin by sending weapons to Ukraine, and we cannot choke him economically without the support of the US, there is only one method left: making a deal,” he told the Belgian newspaper L’Echo.

He said that Europe must take greater responsibility for the continent’s security as the conflict drags into its fifth year. Speaking amid growing uncertainty over US engagement in the conflict, as US President Donald Trump is increasingly distracted with the war in Iran, De Wever said the EU should be “actively involved” in diplomatic efforts to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table.

“Europe cannot remain on the sidelines when the future security architecture of the continent is being decided,” he said, calling for the bloc to engage Russia directly in discussions over a potential settlement.

The diplomacy on the peace deal has stalled and Trump is becoming increasingly frustrated with Ukraine’s slow progress. Efforts led by the US to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia have made little progress in recent months after a good start following the Moscow meeting on December 3 between the US envoys and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

European governments have also become more concerned about the long-term sustainability of military and financial support for Kyiv. As bne IntelliNews wrote the EU’s €90bn loan for Ukraine has been blocked by Hungary and if it is not released soon then the government will run out of money and faces a macroeconomic collapse in the spring.

De Wever has already not made himself popular with the European Commission (EC) after he blocked the Reparation Loan idea in December to seize the $300bn of frozen Russian money and lend it to Ukraine.

Now De Wever is arguing that the EU should take a more proactive diplomatic role alongside continued support for Ukraine. “If there is to be a durable peace in Ukraine, Europe must help shape the negotiations,” he said.

Belgium’s prime Meloni minister is joining a lengthening list of EU leaders calling for restarting diplomatic ties with Russia. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long called for the end of sanctions on Russia. However, last year French President Emmanuel Macron also suggested resuming talks and sent a high-level diplomat to Moscow last month for the first round of meetings. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have also said they were open to resuming contacts.