US efforts to reach political deal in Ukraine so far 'yielding no results,' says Belgian army chief

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Belgian Chief of Defense Gen. Frederik Vansina said Wednesday that US efforts to reach a political agreement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have failed so far, adding that Americans believe the war will continue.

"We have no indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to cease hostilities," Frederik Vansina said at parliament, adding that there is no improvement in Ukraine, the daily De Morgen reported.

However, Vansina noted that Ukraine also wants to continue fighting.

"My American colleagues tell me: we think the war will simply continue. A deus ex machina is possible, but we see that US President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach a political agreement are so far yielding no results," he added.

The army chief said the Russian military advance in Ukraine is progressing slowly but steadily.

"The lesson of Ukraine is that in addition to traditional military means, you also get new technology," he said, warning of rising hybrid threats.

Vansina admitted that Belgium is "very weak" when it comes to anti-drone weapons but added that an emergency order of €50 million ($57.9 million) should fill the biggest gaps "within a few months."

Recent months have seen a series of drone incursions in several European countries, sometimes near airports or military facilities, including over a Belgian military base and an airport last week.

Some European officials have blamed the incidents on Russia, linking them to a hybrid war and the continuing Ukraine conflict. Moscow, however, has firmly denied any involvement.