Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever Issues Legal Warning to EU Over Russian Assets
De Wever warns the European Union that using frozen Russian assets in Euroclear to aid Ukraine could lead to legal action and pose significant risks for Belgium
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has warned that Belgium may pursue legal action if the European Union decides to use frozen Russian assets held in Euroclear to support Ukraine. Speaking in the Belgian Parliament on Wednesday, De Wever stated, “If a decision is in my opinion clearly illegal and poses a very serious risk to our country, nothing can be ruled out.” His comments signal growing unease within Belgium about the EU’s push to leverage these assets, which have been frozen since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
De Wever recently met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to voice concerns about the plan, emphasizing the legal complexities involved. While little detail was shared after the meeting, De Wever indicated that Euroclear, the Belgium-based financial services company, is also considering appealing to the European Court of Justice if the EU moves forward. The idea of utilizing the billions of euros in Russian assets for Ukraine’s benefit is expected to be a hot topic at next week’s EU summit.
Although EU member states could approve the measure without Belgium’s direct support through a qualified majority, De Wever has cast doubt on the legal basis of such a move. He specifically questioned whether the use of Article 122 of the EU Treaty, which allows for emergency actions, would be justified in this context. The Prime Minister reiterated Belgium’s opposition to using funds from the Russian Central Bank, arguing, “This amounts to ‘stealing’ money from a country with which you are not at war.” He called for more effective and legally sound solutions to be found.
