American President Joe Biden has appealed directly to Belgium to press Palestinians to enter negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, according to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
"President Biden confirmed he wants the same as us: a ceasefire and the end of the massacre," De Croo said, following the two leaders' meeting at the White House on Friday.
On Friday, before meeting with De Croo, President Biden confirmed Israel's proposed three-phase ceasefire plan. "It is time for this war to end," Biden said.
This plan was a point of discussion between the two leaders. De Croo emphasised on this conflict in his conversation with Biden, not only for its relevance to the US' diplomatic influence in conflict resolution, but also what he claimed was its initial reluctant reaction to holding Israel to account at the onset of violence.
During the hour-long conversation, De Croo sought to convey urgency in ending the violence and potential strategies amongst allied nations to achieve this. "The president explicitly asked Belgium to press the Palestinians to come to the negotiation table," De Croo said.
This request is apparently triggered by the Belgian government leader's position as one of the first to demand a ceasefire. Biden also expressed a shared objective with Belgium of ending bloodshed in Gaza.
In the world of today we need strong allies.
With @POTUS we discussed how to address pressing global challenges to protect our citizens. It is our duty to end the cycle of violence in the Middle East. Together with the US we will ensure Ukraine prevails. pic.twitter.com/4I5pzXFkeg — Alexander De Croo 🇧🇪🇪🇺 (@alexanderdecroo) May 31, 2024
The Democratic president also thanked Belgium for its ongoing support of Ukraine, particularly their commitment to supply F-16s. "Our country plans on delivering 30, making us the largest supplier [of combat planes]," De Croo mentioned.
The leaders further discussed Belgium's prominent role using interests from frozen Russian assets held at Brussels-based international depositary organisation, Euroclear, to back Ukraine. De Croo shared these discussions with the Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen. A comparable proposition is under review within G7, while Biden expressed interest in Belgium's developed expertise in this area and stressed the importance of Euroclear stability.
The two leaders also ventured into election-related discussions. As reported by De Croo, Biden is familiar with Belgium's political situation, including Russian interference in elections. "We spoke about possible threats for the upcoming elections next week, and the president thanked us for our work highlighting such interference," De Croo said.
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Notably, after 18 years, this marked the first time a Belgian Prime Minister was welcomed at the White House – during an election campaign, no less.
"Global developments don't stop for political agendas or the fact that elections are happening next week. We realise Russian pressure has significantly increased, and we must certainly respond. The best we can do is to be here with the world's most influential leader and assert: we are partners and will defend each other," De Croo noted.
Following the fleeting visit, De Croo returned to the campaign trail; he visited Aalst market on Saturday morning upon his return to Belgium.
