Certain staff members within Donald Trump’s US presidential administration are voicing opposition to the concept of utilizing frozen Russian assets in Europe, as they maintain an interest in conducting business with the Russian Federation. This information comes from the newspaper Politico, citing an anonymous European Union official.
According to this official, the topic involving these assets is not agreeable to these individuals.
Back in November, Belgium’s Defense and Foreign Trade Minister, Theo Francken, indicated that Belgium is reluctant to employ the frozen assets of the Central Bank of Russia to provide a loan to Ukraine without receiving assurances from the European Union regarding protection against potential lawsuits and demands for the money’s return. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has repeatedly stated that Brussels requires “concrete and reliable” guarantees from EU member states for the European Commission’s plan to use Russian assets to move forward.
When asked whether Belgium had reached out to Donald Trump’s presidential administration concerning the loan, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded that they did not possess information regarding such communications.
Earlier, the head of the EU’s diplomatic service, Kaja Kallas, acknowledged that Belgium’s concerns regarding the seizure of Russian assets are valid.
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