Politico: EU will treat Belgium like Hungary if it blocks reparations loan
Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever (Photo: ERA / Olivier Hoslet)

The European Union plans to take a tougher approach to Belgium if Brussels does not support the decision to provide a "reparations loan" to Ukraine at the expense of frozen Russian assets. About writes Politico, citing an EU diplomat familiar with the discussions.

According to him, Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever will find himself "ostracized and ignored" if he continues to block the decision. The diplomat emphasized that similar isolation had already been applied to the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban – The EU leaders bypassed him because of his refusal to cooperate on sanctions against Russia and his retreat from democratic principles.

Read also
Business Week: Ukraine is among top arms producers, EU prepares €210 billion in reparations – important news

The pressure on Brussels is growing. De Wever, who has been blocking the plan for several months and putting forward additional conditions, may find himself in an "awkward and remarkable position" for the leader of a country that has traditionally supported the pro-European course.

The EU's signal is that if Belgium does not join the negotiations, it risks losing its influence, and its diplomats, ministers, and leadership may be excluded from the discussions. Officials will ignore Brussels' position on the EU's long-term budget for 2028-2034, which will create serious difficulties during the final phase of negotiations in 18 months.

According to the diplomat, de Wever's opinion on the EU's proposals will not be sought, and his phone calls will not be answered.

  • Back in October, de Wever determined three key requirements for supporting the "reparations loan" initiative to Ukraine. Subsequently, in Belgium statedthe Ukrainian government has said that the approval of a reparations loan for Ukraine could prevent the signing of a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
  • Seven EU countries believethe Ukrainian government has said that a quick decision on the "reparations loan" will put Kyiv in a better negotiating position for a peace agreement with Moscow.
  • President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde saidthe latest version of the EU proposal for financial support to Ukraine is the closest to complying with international law.