On Friday, leaders of the European Commission and the Belgian government will hold an urgent meeting to discuss the use of frozen Russian state assets to finance a €140 billion reparation loan for Ukraine. Decision-making proves difficult as Europeans want to provide aid through these Russian assets, not from taxpayers' money.
The debate mainly centers around guarantees and the division of potential legal costs if Russia makes legal claims to recover these assets, an issue of particular concern for Belgium. Belgium currently benefits from interest on the frozen assets and is demanding compensation if these funds are transferred to Ukraine.
Certain EU countries, including Germany and Norway, are finding alternative ways to support Ukraine, but the sums remain far below what Kyiv needs. Assistance is also affected by blockades from individual countries, such as Hungary, which delays disbursement of some funds.
President Zelensky has called for a faster resolution on financing, as Ukraine will require an additional $60 billion annually in 2026 and 2027. A decision on the reparation loan is expected at the beginning of December, with the final deadline set for January 2026.
Alongside technical details about the asset transfer, discussions continue on internal EU reforms needed to move Ukraine closer to membership. For now, however, EU bureaucracy and national disputes often slow progress.
