Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stated that the European Commission will not propose new mechanisms for using frozen Russian assets to meet Ukraine’s financial needs.
“I am certain of this, because that was precisely what was being discussed,” he said Wednesday in the Belgian Parliament while reporting on the results of last week’s EU summit.
At the same time, De Wever did not rule out that other EU member states might try to reopen the discussion. He criticized Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who stated on the radio that he wanted to “take that money.” According to the Belgian prime minister, some recently elected European leaders are putting forward arguments that he had already refuted last year.
De Wever said he had warned his colleagues about the possible legal consequences of even such rhetoric, and that warning had the desired effect. “One of my colleagues told me on the sidelines that I had gone through this discussion like a flamethrower,” he said.
Last year, De Wever strongly opposed the use of frozen Russian assets totaling about 185 billion euros, which are held in the Belgian depository Euroclear. Instead, EU leaders approved a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine for 2026–2027; however, estimates suggest this amount will not be sufficient.
At last week’s summit, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the EU for an additional 70 billion euros in support for next year.
EU, frozen Russian assets, Prime Minister of Belgium, UKRAINE
