Belgium opposes €140 billion loan for Ukraine at EU summit
Belgium defended its position at a summit of European Union leaders, preventing a breakthrough on a new Commission plan to lend 140 billion euros to Ukraine using the frozen assets of the Russian central bank noted yahoonews.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has outlined specific conditions for his support, emphasizing the need for full financial risk-sharing among EU member states. He also called for robust guarantees from all participants and proposed that Russian sovereign assets held in other European jurisdictions be pooled into a collective fund.
“If you take my country’s money, if it goes wrong, I am not able, and certainly not willing, to pay 140 billion euros in a week,” Bart de Wever said.
After intense discussions and negotiations that lasted all day Thursday, the leaders failed to allay Bart De Wever’s concerns. Hungary, for its part, categorically rejected the initiative.
Who Is Bart De Wever?
Bart De Wever is currently serving as Prime Minister of Belgium since February 2025.He is the first Flemish nationalist to hold this office, marking a significant shift in Belgian politics.
Born in Mortsel in 1970, De Wever studied history at KU Leuven and began his career in academia before transitioning to politics. He was a founding member of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), a party advocating for greater autonomy for Flanders and a confederal restructuring of Belgium. Under his leadership, the N-VA became the largest party in Belgium, winning multiple federal elections.
From 2013 to 2025, De Wever served as Mayor of Antwerp, where he was known for his tough stance on urban security and drug trafficking. His intellectual background and conservative ideology have shaped his approach to governance, emphasizing fiscal responsibility, regional autonomy, and legal prudence.
EUReflect News
Site Administrator