Kuwait city: Using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine requires EU guarantee: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Thursday called on EU leaders to provide guarantees to share the risks linked to the proposed plan to use frozen Russian assets to finance a EUR 140 billion loan for Ukraine. "We're going to move to uncharted waters. This is very, very risky," De Wever told journalists on the sidelines of the Copenhagen summit.
According to Kuwait News Agency, De Wever emphasized the necessity of collective responsibility among EU countries, highlighting that the head of Euroclear, where the Russian money was held when it was immobilized, already lives under close protection, indicating the risks involved. He insisted on a collective agreement from EU leaders, asserting, "I want everybody to be aware of that and I want their signature to go in that boat with us, whatever it takes, wherever it may sail and whatever it might encounter."
De Wever made it clear that there are consequences to using these funds, stating, "There are always consequences. If we take Putin's money and use it, we're all going to be responsible if it goes wrong." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured that the EU would ensure Belgium was not solely bearing this risk.