EU Works to Avert Belgium’s Threat to Tank Russia Asset Plan

Bart De Wever at a European Council meeting in Brussels, Oct. 23.

Photographer: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg

The European Union’s plan to use frozen Russian central bank assets to back a jumbo loan to Ukraine is in trouble due to Belgian objections over risk sharing.

Speaking ahead of an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels Thursday, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever warned he would sink the initiative unless other countries addressed his concerns.