The European Commission will present a legislative proposal in the coming days for using Russian state property seized in Belgium to provide a loan to Ukraine. This was announced today by a spokesperson for the institution, BTA reports.
He confirmed that the Commission had received the letter from Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever and would take into account the concerns expressed in it. According to him, talks between member states on the subject continue intensively, and everyone is familiar with the three possible scenarios for future financing of Kiev. The spokesperson refused to comment directly on De Wever's assessment, according to which the use of Russian funds could complicate peace negotiations.
“Discussions are progressing, but we are entering uncharted territory and it is normal to have concerns“, the spokesperson added. He also commented on the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Moscow, emphasizing that the only official message from the EU remains the call for Russia to sit at the negotiating table.
As previously reported, Belgium does not currently support the idea of Ukraine receiving a loan of 140 billion euros, secured by the seized Russian state property in Brussels, stored in the depository “Euroclear“. The Russian ambassador to the Belgian capital, as well as representatives of Russian intelligence, have warned of possible consequences if the measure is implemented.
“Euroclear“ also expressed reservations, indicating that such a step could undermine confidence in the markets, make it difficult for EU countries to raise new loans and lead to higher interest costs.