Bild learned about Merz's intention to fulfill Belgium's requirements for Russian assets

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz intends to provide the assets of the Central Bank of Russia frozen in Germany to support Ukraine and meet the demands of Belgium. The Bild newspaper wrote about this on December 18, citing sources in the negotiating circles in Brussels.

It is noted that Belgium wants to receive "unlimited" financial guarantees from European countries in case of potential use of frozen Russian assets.

On December 11, Belgium demanded that the EU provide it with a financial reserve to issue Ukraine a "reparation loan" from frozen Russian assets in order to be able to cover the risks from possible retaliatory actions by the Russian Federation.

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Earlier that day, a heated discussion broke out in the Bundestag when Merz announced that he would seek the withdrawal of frozen Russian assets in favor of Ukraine. It was noted that this statement provoked harsh criticism from the opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The Politico newspaper reported on December 17 that the European Union (EU) was divided into two camps due to disputes over the confiscation of frozen Russian assets. According to the publication, in order to reach a compromise on an agreement on financial assistance to the Ukrainian side, European leaders need many hours of negotiations.

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