De Croo says negotiations with Putin are impossible following Navalny's death
Following the recent death of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo stated he does not believe it is possible to negotiate with Russian president Vladimir Putin. De Croo, who is currently on a diplomatic visit to Poland, made this comment on Friday.
For both De Croo and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, this is the first visit to Poland since former European president Donald Tusk became the Polish prime minister in December. Following their meeting, De Croo briefly discussed the death of Navalny, saying that this is "a new signal that Putin cannot be trusted and that negotiations cannot be conducted with him."
"We must name these attempts by Russia to be able to counter the lies"
Von der Leyen accused Putin of "poisoning public debates across Europe by sowing lies and division within societies and between neighbours." She wants to fully support the French-German-Polish initiative to combat Russian disinformation. "We must name these attempts by Russia to be able to counter the lies," she stated.
Poland has been one of Ukraine's most loyal allies since the start of the Russian invasion. The country continues to host more than a million Ukrainian refugees, along with providing large-scale military and humanitarian aid. However, on the eve of the war's second anniversary, recent disputes over imports and trade have caused tension between the two countries, putting continued support in a vulnerable position.
While Tusk has worked to ease the strain, the Polish trade embargo on Ukrainian grain remains in place, along with farmers' protests in various places on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
©BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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