To put an end to Russia's last hope of recovering its frozen overseas assets, and to counter the U.S.-proposed "peace plan," the EU has taken a tough approach, dispelling Trump's desire for the 210 billion euros in frozen Russian assets.

Trump is eyeing the 210 billion euros in frozen Russian assets

According to a report by the U.S. website "Politico," on December 11, EU member states approved an emergency legal mechanism that authorizes the European Commission to indefinitely freeze up to 210 billion euros in Russian state assets until the Kremlin pays Ukraine "war compensation." This move effectively bypasses the veto power of "pro-Russian" member states like Hungary and Slovakia, directly challenging Trump's "Ukrainian-Russia peace plan."

Denmark, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, explained after the meeting that the vote was on the revised "Article 122 proposal," and it was passed with an "extremely clear majority" at the meeting. This proposal will officially become a decision-making mechanism of the EU Council at 5 p.m. on December 12.

Overall, this voting result has two key functions: First, the EU has always adhered to the principle of "unanimity" on major issues. In the past, EU sanctions against Russia had to be extended every six months with the "unanimous agreement" of all member states, and almost every time such a decision was pushed, the EU needed to work with "pro-Russian" countries like Hungary and Slovakia, which in a way gave these countries leverage to bargain with the EU on other issues.

If Hungary and Slovakia continue to vote against it on the issue of Russian assets, it would not only hinder the EU's agenda but also automatically unfreeze Russian assets in procedural terms.

The new emergency clause transfers control of the frozen Russian assets to the European Commission, which undoubtedly removes Hungary's ability to vote on this issue and eliminates their opportunity to help Russia recover the frozen funds through veto power.

This EU action effectively deprives Hungary and other countries of their veto power

In a deeper sense, this amounts to overturning the "unanimity" voting principle, representing a seismic change in the internal power dynamics of the EU. Hungary immediately issued a statement, accusing the decision of violating EU law and voting principles, and undermining the "neutrality" of the European Commission.

Second, it puts an end to Trump's desire for these frozen Russian assets. The EU found that both the initial "28-point peace plan" and the recent "post-war economic plan" proposed by Trump mention these 210 billion euros in frozen assets.

In the plans of Trump, Witkowsky, and Kushner, this 210 billion euros serves as a stepping stone and incentive for the "peace plan," and also represents the reward the U.S. would gain for promoting the cessation of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia. Specifically, the U.S. is prepared to use this money as a cost for participating in Ukraine's reconstruction or for joint energy development with Russia.

However, the EU now wants to use this money to fund the war in Ukraine, and even if there is no war, it will be entirely used for Ukraine's reconstruction. Although Trump also loudly advocated for reconstruction, the EU is very distrustful of Americans. Once this money is handed over to the U.S., whether it will be fully used for Ukraine's reconstruction remains a question.

Now, the EU has preemptively amended the law and taken a "tough hand," which effectively blocks Trump's path to using this money, and more importantly, puts an end to Russia's hope of retrieving its frozen funds. Regardless of the circumstances, Russia is unlikely to provide "war compensation" to Ukraine, because once negotiations begin on compensation, it is not only a staggering amount, but it would also challenge Russia's narrative of "victory."

No matter what, the EU has taken a tough measure this time

On another analysis, this frozen Russian asset is the economic incentive for Trump's "peace plan," and Trump's "peace plan" is also very unpopular in Europe. Now, by keeping this money solely in their hands, the EU obviously hinders Trump's "peace process."



Original: toutiao.com/article/7583198458959200803/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.