Belgian Defence and Trade Minister Theo Francken on Friday, 4 September called for India to assume a larger role in efforts to end the Ukraine conflict, declaring that the US-led peace process was ‘unfortunately leading nowhere.’ Speaking during a visit to New Delhi, Francken pointed to the upcoming 18th BRICS Summit as a critical window for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step up diplomatic engagement.

BRICS Summit as a Diplomatic Opportunity

Francken noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are both expected to be in New Delhi by the end of the following week for the BRICS Summit, giving Modi a rare multilateral platform to advance peace efforts. In a post on X, Francken wrote: ‘As early as the end of next week, Prime Minister Modi will get a chance to step up. That’s when both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in New Delhi.’

Modi-De Wever Talks and Joint Statement

On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi held talks in New Delhi with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, during which both sides exchanged views on Ukraine and developments in West Asia. A Joint Statement issued after the meeting stated: ‘Both sides reaffirmed their support for efforts towards the achievement of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace through dialogue and diplomacy, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.’

Francken confirmed that De Wever ‘emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine’ during the meeting, and added that India shares that position.

Belgium’s Growing Economic Ties with India

Beyond diplomacy, Francken highlighted the expanding bilateral trade relationship. Belgium currently exports around €5 billion worth of goods and services to India annually, with plans to double that figure by 2032. He noted that nearly 2,000 Belgian companies are already active in India, with more expected to follow.

Francken also confirmed that Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Brussels before the end of the year to sign a comprehensive EU-India trade agreement, which he said would significantly ease market access for Belgian businesses. ‘India has a market of 1.4 billion people. And it’s growing like wildfire (+8 per cent this year),’ Francken stated.

Context: India’s Ukraine Diplomacy

This comes amid sustained international pressure on India to leverage its unique position — maintaining ties with both Moscow and Kyiv — to broker or facilitate dialogue. Modi’s visits to both Russia and Ukraine in 2024 had drawn global attention, with Western capitals urging New Delhi to use that access more assertively. Belgium’s public appeal marks one of the more direct such calls from a European Union member state.

With the BRICS Summit drawing two of the conflict’s most consequential actors to New Delhi, India’s diplomatic posture in the days ahead is likely to face heightened scrutiny from both Western allies and the Global South.