Brussels is struggling to overcome Belgium\u2019s resistance to its proposed \u2018reparation loan\u2019 meant to prop up Kiev\u2019s finances<\/p>\n
The EU remains intent on funneling frozen Russian assets into Ukraine\u2019s war effort, despite internal opposition from Belgium, the bloc\u2019s top executive has said.
\nEU leaders want to issue a \u2018reparation loan\u2019 to Kiev by using Russian funds frozen in the West as collateral. However, Belgium, where the bulk of the holdings are kept, has refused to greenlight the plan unless other EU nations share the legal and financial risks of what Moscow has denounced as blatant theft.
\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed the policy on Tuesday while pledging continued EU support for Kiev, even as Washington promotes a new peace initiative that reportedly demands major concessions from Ukraine.
\nEurope, von der Leyen said, will \u201cstand firmly by Ukraine\u201d throughout any future discussions, adding that \u201ca central point is the question of financing for Ukraine, including the use of the immobilized Russian sovereign assets.\u201d
\n\u201cUkraine\u2019s interests are our interests,\u201d she said. \u201cThey are inseparable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
EU must seize Russian assets to \u2018get ticket\u2019 to Ukraine talks \u2013 member state<\/p>\n
Politico previously reported that pro-Kiev officials in the bloc have floated a temporary \u201cbridge loan,\u201d taken out collectively by EU member states, which would keep Ukraine solvent for several months. Supporters hope that once Belgium is persuaded, the larger reparation loan could later be approved and used to repay this interim debt.
\n\u201cWe hope to be able to solve their hesitation,\u201d one EU diplomat told the outlet. \u201cWe really do not see any other possible option than the reparations loan.\u201d Another official said, \u201cif we don\u2019t move, others will move before us.\u201d Both spoke on condition of anonymity.
\nRussian officials have accused Brussels of trying to prolong the conflict for domestic political gain and to justify soaring defense budgets that benefit European arms makers.
\nWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that critics of the US peace proposal are either misinformed or \u201cpushing their own agenda,\u201d adding that some \u201cdon\u2019t want to see this war come to an end\u201d and may be \u201cprofiting off of it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Brussels is struggling to overcome Belgium\u2019s resistance to its proposed \u2018reparation loan\u2019 meant to prop up Kiev\u2019s finances The EU remains intent on funneling frozen Russian assets into Ukraine\u2019s war…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t