Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever on Thursday cautioned that using frozen Russian assets held at Euroclear could expose Belgium—and potentially the EU—to major financial liabilities, including claims of “illegal expropriation” that may surpass the value of the assets themselves.
Addressing the Federal Parliament, De Wever said Belgium will only back the confiscation plan if the financial risk is shared across the European Union. Current European Commission proposals, he noted, address some of Brussels’s concerns but still fall short of the government’s minimum demands.
De Wever rejected suggestions that Belgium is blocking the initiative, insisting the government has worked “constructively” and submitted alternative options. “We are loyal Europeans, and we stand loyal to Ukraine,” he said.
No parliamentary group opposed the government’s stance, underscoring broad political agreement on the issue.
