PREVIEW

Germany Pushes New Plan to Use Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine. Germany is pushing a new initiative to help finance Ukraine by making greater use of the Russian assets frozen in Europe since Moscow's full-scale invasion. Berlin is seeking to build support for a mechanism that would allow the frozen Russian funds to underpin a major loan for Ukraine, providing Kyiv with substantial financial support. Around €210 billion in Russian central bank assets are currently frozen in Europe, with the vast majority held at the Belgian-based financial institution Euroclear. The proposal comes as Ukraine faces a growing funding gap, with Kyiv needing billions of euros in additional support to cover its military and budgetary needs. Germany’s initiative reflects growing pressure among European governments to find new ways of financing Ukraine without relying entirely on national budgets. However, Belgium remains concerned about the legal and financial risks because it hosts most of the frozen assets and could face Russian retaliation or legal claims. EU officials are therefore examining ways to spread those risks across member states, including proposals for a new European structure that could protect both Belgium and Euroclear. Germany’s push could give momentum to the debate over whether Russia's frozen wealth should be used to help Ukraine, although agreement among all 27 EU countries is still required.
Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT