- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
Belgium’s prime minister has poured cold water on the European Commission’s proposal to use immobilised Russian central bank assets to fund a ‘reparation loan’ to Ukraine.
The move throws a giant wrench in the EU executive’s plan to use the cash balances associated with €200 billion in frozen assets to support Kyiv’s budget needs and reconstruction.
Most of the assets are held in Euroclear, a Brussels-based clearing house – making Belgium a key player in EU negotiations.
“Taking Putin’s money and leaving the risks with [Belgium]. That’s not going to happen, let me be very clear about that,” Prime Minister Bart De Wever on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
“If countries see that central bank money can disappear if European politicians see fit, they might decide to withdraw their reserves from the eurozone,” he added.
Maybe if they are planning to invade a peaceful democratic neighbor they should.
Fuck Belgium for being pussies!!! My respect for Belgium just dropped dramatically.
This has been planned for years now, and I thought it was practically a sure thing. Is Belgium playing lapdog to France?
Fuck France too for saying this.
There will be a trial against Russia, and they will have to pay damages to Ukraine, and we must make sure they do.
I don’t think this was ever the plan? We were gonna use investment profits from the money to benefit Ukraine, and we’re doing that.
Some countries are already giving Ukraine the interest Russians have earned, and yes the plan was absolutely to give Ukraine compensation from the frozen Russian assets.
I smell a rat when France and Belgium are suddenly backtracking on that.