EU's Plan for Russian Assets Threatens Peace: Statement from the Prime Minister of Belgium.

According to ТСН: The Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever, expressed concern about the European Union's plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. He believes this could undermine potential peace agreements.

He shared his remarks in a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

«Rushing the proposed mechanism for reparations loans will mean that we, as the EU, will effectively hinder the achievement of a possible peace agreement».

In the letter, De Wever also noted that von der Leyen's plan proposes providing frozen assets of the Russian central bank in Europe to Ukraine as a loan to finance defense needs and cover budget expenses.

Support for this plan from Belgium is crucial, as the assets the EU plans to use are held at the Belgian financial institution Euroclear.

«The proposed reparations loan mechanism, in my opinion, is fundamentally flawed».

De Wever emphasized that frozen assets are generally not used during wartime, but are discussed only after it ends, in the context of reparations payments by the losing side.

EU leaders tried to reach an agreement at a recent summit on using 140 billion euros of frozen Russian assets in Europe to lend to Kyiv, but did not receive support from Belgium.

According to information from sources in the EU, the European Commission plans to consider Belgium's concerns in a legal proposal it will present this week regarding the use of Russian assets to support Ukraine until 2026-2027.

De Wever also noted that Belgium has not yet received “any proposed legal wording from the Commission”.

In addition to 185 billion euros frozen in Belgium, about 25 billion euros of Russian assets are blocked in other EU banks, primarily in France and Luxembourg.

Previously, Belgium hoped to involve other countries with Russian assets, such as Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — all members of the “Group of Seven” developed nations.

The EU is actively preparing a legal proposal for a loan to Ukraine of 140 billion euros, which will be secured by revenues from frozen Russian assets. EU representative Kaja Kallas stressed that a loan for reparations is the most viable option for financing Ukraine's needs. She emphasized the importance of careful legislative work and the necessity of Belgium's support to cover financial risks. Kallas hopes that the proposal will soon be presented to member states for discussion at the December European Council.

Thus, discussions on the use of Russian assets to support Ukraine continue to cause tensions among European leaders. The situation will remain under control as Belgium has warned of the potential consequences of such a move for peace negotiations. Clearly, the further actions of the European Commission will be determined by taking into account the views of all parties.