Belgium will be ignored: EU pressures Brussels to support loan for Ukraine
FILE PHOTO: A banner depicting an European Union flag is reflected in a window outside the EU Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium March 18, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman//File Photo
The European Union is considering the possibility of isolating the Belgian government for blocking an initiative to finance Ukraine with frozen Russian assets.
This is reported by Politico.
As noted, Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever has resisted the “repatriation loan” for so long that European diplomats are looking for new ways, including through pressure, to convince him to support the initiative.
Belgium, fearing it will have to compensate Russia, has made a number of demands. The government insists on additional security measures and wants the European Union to provide a cash reserve to cover costs in case Russia sues.
In addition, Brussels has submitted amendments to the proposals to ensure that it will not pay the funds itself if the sanctions are lifted.
According to de Wever, he will support the “repatriation loan” only if all his wishes are taken into account.
Instead, European officials, fearing that a compromise on this issue would not be reached at the December summit, began to put pressure on Belgium.
The European Union is threatening to isolate the Belgian leader, following the example of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and diplomats and ministers will lose their right to vote.
At the same time, Europe plans to ignore Belgium’s wishes regarding the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-2034, its opinion will not be taken into account, and its phone calls will not be answered. This will cause serious problems for the country’s government.
Another possible option for approving the “repatriation loan” is a qualified majority vote, in which case de Wever’s blocking would be ignored. However, as diplomats said, it is not a priority.
Recall that Belgium criticized the European Commission’s new proposal to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, stating that the document is “categorically unacceptable.”
It was previously reported that the European Union is working on an urgent legal mechanism that will allow frozen Russian money to be safely used to lend to Ukraine, avoiding risks for Belgium.
As is known,the European Union is preparing an alternative financing scenario for Ukraine in case the leaders fail to agree on using frozen Russian assets to create a reparations loan.
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