Belgium Pours Cold Water on EU Plan to Tap Russian Assets
The golden domes of the Annunciation Cathedral the Kremlin in Moscow.
Photographer: Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images
The European Union’s bid to unlock funding for Ukraine from frozen Russian central bank assets faced resistance as Belgium raised legal questions about the plan to tap financing from up to €185 billion ($217 billion) held on its territory.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever called the EU proposal to tap interest from the Russian assets a “big gamble” that required ironclad risk-sharing among EU member states. He signaled that the process would be time consuming, suggesting the bloc seek alternative financing for Kyiv.