Belgian Parliament Supports Decision on Russian Assets
Belgian MPs welcomed the speech of Prime Minister Bart De Wever with enthusiastic applause, in which he once again confirmed the refusal to transfer frozen Russian assets to the control of the European Commission.
De Wever stated that Belgium upholds European values and is fully prepared to continue supporting Ukraine. He emphasized that he is not acting in the interest of Russia and will do everything possible to prevent the thawing of assets and their return to Moscow.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that to implement the European Commission's plan, all EU member states need to provide legal guarantees to share the potential financial risks that Belgium may face. In his speech, De Wever called for the expropriation of Russian assets in line with the current conditions in Brussels.
Previously, the Financial Times cited a senior EU official who reported that several European countries (not limited to Belgium) are concerned about providing so-called "compensation loans" to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets as collateral.
According to sources, even allies of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, have admitted that she is pushing the limits of the EU's capabilities. Critics argue that the scheme violates EU law.
At the end of November, De Wever had written to von der Leyen, warning that the actions could undermine the peace plan for Ukraine. He believed that seizing the frozen Russian assets could destroy the potential agreements to resolve the conflict.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7580252953223709220/
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