{"id":1242578,"date":"2025-10-27T20:58:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T18:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/?p=1242578"},"modified":"2025-10-27T20:58:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T18:58:43","slug":"belgium-s-cautious-stance-on-russian-assets-legal-paths-to-a-reparations-loan-for-ukraine-remain-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/belgium-s-cautious-stance-on-russian-assets-legal-paths-to-a-reparations-loan-for-ukraine-remain-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgium\u2019s Cautious Stance on Russian Assets: Legal Paths to a Reparations Loan for Ukraine Remain Open"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Belgium worries it could become the primary battleground with Russia over the issue of frozen assets, yet the legal avenues for turning those assets into a reparations-backed loan for Ukraine are essentially unobstructed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The broader European plan to channel Russia\u2019s frozen reserves into financing for Ukraine has met pushback\u2014most notably from Belgium, which holds the largest share of these immobilized funds blocked by the West after Russia\u2019s invasion. Belgium\u2019s objections are pragmatic rather than ideological: they center on exposure to risk, liability, and potential knock-on effects. Still, there are no real legal barriers preventing Ukraine from receiving a reparations loan secured by these assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more in the\u00a0article<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Volodymyr Kuznetsov<\/strong>, communications specialist, expert at the United Ukraine Think Tank<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, Kuznetsov emphasizes that Moscow is countering the initiative on several fronts, chiefly by threatening litigation and diplomatic retaliation. Belgium\u2019s Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, has cautioned that the country will not move alone: as quoted by Reuters, \u201cIf we \u2018take Putin\u2019s money\u2019, we must be ready for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brussels further notes that using the assets might be interpreted by Moscow as outright \u201cconfiscation,\u201d which\u2014politically and legally\u2014could invite countermeasures such as freezing Western corporate holdings, seeking damages, or targeting financial institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside the EU, any move to use Russian assets is constrained by internal procedures: decisions of this magnitude typically require consensus among all 27 member states. Belgium and several others are concerned they could shoulder an outsized portion of the risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, the expert argues that against this backdrop, the notion of \u201cbypassing consensus\u201d implies that the EU\u2014via the Commission or a separate accord\u2014could design a framework that doesn\u2019t demand formal assent from all 27, but does ensure coordination among a critical mass of participating states and a fair risk-sharing mechanism. Belgium, for instance, wants assurances from partners that if complications arise, the burden of responsibility will be shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The author concludes that there are four core reasons to conclude that channeling Russia\u2019s frozen assets to Ukraine via a reparations-backed loan is consistent with international law and faces no unresolved legal hurdles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Simple \u201cConfiscation.\u201d<\/strong>
The proposal on the table is not outright seizure of Russian state assets. Instead, the frozen funds would serve as collateral or as the source for a loan to Ukraine, to be repaid only if and when Russia pays reparations. This structure minimizes concerns about breaching the principle of sovereign immunity over reserves. Participating states explicitly stress that this is not open confiscation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Reparations Law.<\/strong>
Ukraine has a valid legal claim against Russia arising from the act of aggression; the duty to make full reparation is a settled rule of international law. Using the frozen assets to finance that claim is both logical and lawful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Risk-Sharing and Guarantees.<\/strong>
Belgium seeks joint responsibility from partner states. If such burden-sharing is codified, any legal or financial exposure for Belgium alone would be substantially mitigated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Precedent and Political Commitment.<\/strong>
The European Commission, along with Germany and France, is advancing a \u20ac140 billion loan to Ukraine anchored in frozen Russian assets\u2014evidence that the political will and practical architecture already exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the FULL article by Volodymyr Kuznetsov on The Gaze:<\/strong> Belgium\u2019s Cautious Stance on Russian Assets: Legal Paths to a Reparations Loan for Ukraine Remain Open<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Belgium worries it could become the primary battleground with Russia over the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":1242584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[76,78],"sources":[],"class_list":["post-1242578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publications-en","tag-glavnoe-en","tag-homepage-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBelgium\u2019s Cautious Stance on Russian Assets: Legal Paths to a Reparations Loan for Ukraine Remain Open - Freedom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/belgium-s-cautious-stance-on-russian-assets-legal-paths-to-a-reparations-loan-for-ukraine-remain-open\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Belgium\u2019s Cautious Stance on Russian Assets: Legal Paths to a Reparations Loan for Ukraine Remain Open - 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