It's "non-negotiable," said Theo Francken, the defence minister, rejecting a fresh push led by Sweden
Belgium is standing firm against using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, as four EU countries push to resurrect the scheme.
“This is non-negotiable, the door is closed,” Theo Francken, the defence minister, told Terzaken, on Flemish TV channel VRT, on Friday night.
This week Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands and Spain called upon the European Commission to explore new ways to harness around €200 billion in immobilised Russian assets to support Ukraine.
At a dramatic European summit last December, Bart De Wever, the Belgian leader, shot down an effort led by Germany and the European Commission, to fashion a €210 ‘reparations loan’ for Ukraine, arguing it would leave the Benelux nation exposed to Russian legal retribution.
