frozen Russian assets

Belgium's defence minister stated that the idea of transferring those funds for Ukraine’s benefit is not open for discussion

The remaining hesitation in some EU capitals over Russia’s frozen assets is no longer sustainable

Thousands of Russia-linked properties and companies remain active in Bulgaria years after Moscow labelled the country “unfriendly” over its support for Ukraine

Four years after the first pledges, sovereign assets remain frozen, private assets rarely reach confiscation, and sanctions fines are only partially redirected

We can only hope that the next round of EU talks on the topic of using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine will be more successful

Even international observers credit the Belgian PM with averting a "historical mistake" that could erode trust in European finance

Russia remains "ready for negotiations and a peaceful resolution," provided the West accepts the Kremlin terms

By stepping back from the most provocative financing option, Brussels has, perhaps inadvertently, given itself a chance to speak to Putin again

The compromise reached during the night prioritises immediate certainty over innovative but risky financing, buying time in an uncertain geopolitical landscape

Poland’s PM Donald Tusk made it clear that the alternative idea of European borrowing lacked support

Britain wants the funds spent on humanitarian causes in Ukraine, in line with a wider European push for Moscow to foot the bill for the deaths and destruction it caused

As diplomacy intensifies across capitals, the coming days could shape not only Ukraine's fate but Europe's strategic autonomy in a shifting transatlantic landscape