Belgium rejects EU plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine

The Associated Press

December 03, 2025 / 2:19 am

BRUSSELS — Belgium on Wednesday rejected a plan to use frozen Russian assets to help prop up Ukraine's economy and war effort over the next two years, saying that the scheme poses major financial and legal risks.

Ukraine's budget and military needs for 2026 and 2027 are estimated to total around 130 billion euros ($150 billion). The European Union has committed to fill the gap. It has already poured in over 170 billion euros ($197 billion) since the war started in 2022.

The biggest pot of ready funds available is through frozen Russian assets. Most of the money is held in Belgium – around 194 billion euros as of June – and outside the EU in Japan, with around $50 billion

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