On November 6, at the Veza Civic Analytics Center, director Valeriy Klyuchuk and political analyst Petro Lyshchuk discussed the issue of European financial support for Ukraine. The main topic was the difficulties in providing funds, including a potential reparation loan of 140 billion euros, which could be allocated from frozen Russian assets.
Most of these assets are held in Belgian financial institutions, but the Belgian government is reluctant to assume full responsibility and calls for risk sharing among all EU members. This creates further debate and complicates the implementation of the reparation loan scheme.
Other potential donors, such as Norway with its sovereign fund, were also mentioned. However, right now, only Europe can realistically provide large-scale financial support. The discussion highlighted that many European countries face ongoing political crises (Belgium, France, Netherlands), which hinder the adoption of crucial decisions.
The experts touched upon the fact that in recent months, European assistance to Ukraine has declined compared to previous periods. The strategic significance of supporting Ukraine was stressed, not only for Ukraine’s needs but for the EU’s own security. The analyst explained that both the interests of major countries and the positions of smaller states, like the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, influence the overall effectiveness.
Speculation also arose about the possible alignment between European countries and Trump regarding freezing the conflict. However, the expert noted that potential peace plans, including concessions to Russia, would remain unacceptable to the Russian Federation. The variety of national interests and ongoing political instability are major factors behind the EU’s slow decision-making on Ukrainian aid.
The discussion also reviewed Trump’s statements on the war. The experts noted much of his rhetoric is manipulative, intended to achieve political goals rather than inform the public.
