Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has confirmed his refusal to transfer Russia's frozen assets to the European Commission (EC), VRT reported.
According to De Wever, the Belgians remain committed to European values and are fully prepared to support Ukraine. He stressed that he is not acting in Russia's interests and intends to do everything possible to prevent the assets from being unfrozen and returned to Moscow.
The Prime Minister also said that in order for the European Commission's plan to be approved, all EU member states must 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 under conditions similar to those applied in Brussels.
Earlier, the Financial Times, citing a senior EU official, reported that many in Europe, not just in Belgium, were concerned about the possibility of granting Ukraine a so-called reparations loan using frozen Russian assets.
According to the source, even allies of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have said that it is testing the limits of the EU's capabilities. Critics of this idea believe that it violates the bloc's laws.
In late November, de Wever sent a letter to Ursula von der Leyen warning against actions that could undermine the peace plan for Ukraine. He believes that the confiscation of frozen Russian assets threatens to destroy a potential agreement to resolve the conflict.