German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that he takes Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever's concerns about frozen Russian assets seriously and noted that he would discuss with him options for using Russian assets to help Ukraine.
“I postponed my trip to Norway on Friday because I want to discuss with the Belgian Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission how to secure a majority in the European Council for my proposal, which the European Commission has already turned into a legal text. This applies in particular to the Belgian government, since Euroclear, the depository of Russian assets, is located in Brussels“, Merz said at a press conference in Berlin after consultations with German state premiers. This, he added, in a sense imposes special obligations on Belgium towards the company.
“I am not only aware of the Belgian government's concerns, but I also take them seriously. I believe that the Belgian government has the right to expect us to look into these issues in depth. And since Germany is one of the potential guarantor states for the appropriate protection of these assets in the Belgian capital, it is only natural for me, following the European Commission's decision on Wednesday, to discuss with the Belgian Prime Minister as soon as possible how we can move forward together“, said the German Chancellor.
He stressed that his aim was not only to convince the Belgian government but also the European Council. “And, as you know, December 18 and 19 are the last opportunity this year“, added Merz. The German Prime Minister pointed out that discussions are currently taking place at two levels. “One level is the European level“, he noted. Merz explained that a common position between the heads of state and government of the European Union is needed. In particular, an agreement must be reached with Belgium.
“And once again, I take the Belgian Prime Minister's concerns and objections very seriously. These issues are important. We need to discuss them and I will try to resolve them. But, of course, this is only possible with a common position between the heads of state and government of the European Union and, in particular, an agreement with Belgium“, concluded the German Chancellor. “I want to convince him of the correctness of the path we are proposing. And if we take this path, we will do it to help Ukraine“, said Merz.“