Belgium Resists Seizure of Russian Assets for Ukraine’s Benefit
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Belgian Parliament has voiced strong opposition to using frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine. Prime Minister Bart De Wever received unanimous support against proposals to sell or loan these assets to Ukraine as compensation for damages.
During a session held in the Belgian House of Representatives on Thursday, De Wever and several government officials cautioned about the potential legal and financial repercussions of seizing these assets, especially those deposited in Euroclear, a major European financial institution based in Brussels.
The Prime Minister reiterated Belgium’s conditions for participating in any such action against Russia, emphasizing the necessity of shared risk among EU member states. He stressed that the responsibility for any asset seizure must be collective and proportionate, rather than falling disproportionately on a single nation.
Reports indicate that not a single member of the Belgian parliament, including those from the opposition, objected to the government’s stance, signaling a rare national consensus on this sensitive matter.
The German magazine Der Spiegel reported that Friedrich Merz canceled his planned trip to Norway to travel to Belgium to meet with De Wever, aiming to persuade him of the need to act on the frozen Russian assets.
These developments occur amidst intensified efforts by the European Commission to garner support from EU member states to utilize sovereign Russian assets to assist Ukraine, a move that continues to face legal and political reservations from several EU countries.
