Belgian minister: Using Russian assets for Ukraine is non-negotiable

Belgium's Defense Minister Theo Francken has firmly rejected any proposal to use frozen Russian assets held by Euroclear in Belgium to aid Ukraine.

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That is out of the question (...) Our position has not changed since last year. I understand the frustration of the Eastern European member states, but our prime minister will remain firm. That door is completely closed.

During a television interview, Francken stated that Belgium's position has not changed since last year and that the matter is "non-negotiable." He acknowledged the frustration of Eastern European member states but emphasized that Belgium's prime minister will remain steadfast, effectively closing the door on the discussion.

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Our position is non-negotiable and it is unreasonable that there are member states that continue to raise this issue and put us in a difficult position.

Francken criticized certain EU member states for persistently raising the issue, labeling their actions as "unreasonable" and putting Belgium in a difficult position. This stance contrasts with recent calls from Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden, who in a joint letter urged the EU to revisit the use of these frozen assets. They proposed discussing the matter at an informal meeting of foreign ministers in Ireland.

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it is time to resume the discussion on how to further leverage the immobilized Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine

The European Commission, however, indicated that it had not yet received the letter but stated that the possibility of using the assets remains open. Meanwhile, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot had previously expressed openness to the idea, provided a principled approach could mitigate risks.

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the possibility of using these assets remains open.