BRUSSELS, 29 June – RIA Novosti. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said before the alliance’s summit in Madrid began that Belgium would continue to provide military support to Ukraine, as it believed the conflict could be resolved “only on the battlefield”.

“I met with President Zelensky, we emphasized that it is important to keep in touch with him. We emphasized that this war can only be won on the battlefield, and that we must continue to support Zelensky and the Ukrainian people,” he said.

Russia launched a military operation against Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin described his goal as “protecting people who have been subjected to genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.” According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, as of March 25, the Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage – significantly reducing the combat potential of Ukraine.

Russia sent a note to NATO countries for the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation stated that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that the pumping of weapons into Ukraine from the West does not contribute to the success of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative impact.