frozen Russian assets | The European Conservative

Friday EU Talks Fail To Break Belgium’s Veto on Ukraine Funding Plan

Christina Holmgren-Larson December 6, 2025

Von der Leyen still called the meeting with Belgian PM “very constructive” and said discussion will continue.

Belgium Warns EU: We Won’t Pay the Price for Russian Asset Plan

TEC News December 4, 2025

Belgium’s prime minister told lawmakers that any move to tap Moscow’s frozen funds could expose Brussels to massive legal claims

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s “balanced position” on Ukraine as the two leaders met in the Kremlin on Friday, November 28th for talks focused on the war, energy security, and the prospect of Budapest hosting a future U.S.–Russia summit. Putin said that Moscow appreciated Hungary’s “moderate stance.” He also thanked Orbán for being prepared to host a meeting between him and U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest. The talks in Moscow—Orbán’s second visit since last year—underline the Hungarian leader’s unique role within the European Union. Since the beginning of the war, he has been the only EU head of government to maintain open communication channels with the Kremlin, and the only one to consistently call for peace talks rather than increased military support for Ukraine. Western European leaders and Brussels, by contrast, have preferred to fuel the war through military aid packages while failing to produce any strategy for diplomatic negotiations. Similarly to Putin, Trump, too, has welcomed Orbán’s distinct diplomatic strategy as the U.S. president is pushing his own plan for ending the war. Budapest was agreed upon as a future venue for a U.S.-Russia summit, but an agreement on Trump’s 28-point peace plan would have to be a precursor to that. While the EU is currently focusing on seizing Russian assets to use as a so-called reparations loan for Ukraine, it is simultaneously upset that it is being excluded from peace talks as Trump and Orbán make efforts to bring Moscow to the negotiating table. On Thursday, Putin said he would end his Ukraine offensive if Kyiv withdrew from territory Moscow claims as its own—otherwise his army would take it by force. Washington’s original plan would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea, and Lugansk regions as Russian, but Washington backtracked following criticism from Europe, and has not yet released the new version. Another central issue for Orbán in his dealings with Russia is the question of energy. “Energy supplies from Russia form the basis of Hungary’s energy supply now and will remain so in the future,” he said during the meeting, stressing that stable oil and gas deliveries were essential to keeping Hungarian energy prices the lowest in the EU. Ahead of the trip, Orbán said he had recently travelled to Washington to secure an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy companies. “We succeeded,” he announced on social media. BLOCK QUOTE Now we must take the next step, guaranteeing that deliveries to Hungary continue without interruption. This is why I am going to Russia today: to make sure Hungary’s energy supply remains secure and affordable this winter and in the year ahead. https://x.com/PM_ViktorOrban/status/1994348592996229323 His political director, Balázs Orbán, warned that Europe was “steering onto an increasingly wartime course”, cutting itself off from Russian energy while pushing for new sanctions, accelerating Ukraine’s EU accession, and risking elevating the conflict “into a broader Europe–Russia confrontation.” Hungary argues that such policies harm European competitiveness and ignore the interests of EU citizens, particularly as households across the bloc struggle with soaring energy prices.

UPDATED As the EU Pushes Sanctions, Orbán Talks Peace and Energy Cooperation in Moscow

Zoltán Kottász November 28, 2025

Vladimir Putin praised the Hungarian PM’s “balanced position” as the two leaders discussed Ukraine, energy, and a possible Budapest peace summit.

Von der Leyen Proposes Further EU Debt To Save Ukraine

Javier Villamor November 13, 2025

The European Commission president plans to use frozen Russian assets and new European loans to finance Kyiv, despite Belgium’s opposition and growing political fatigue within the EU.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico (C) walks by Bulgaria’s Prime minister Rossen Jeliazkov (L) and Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal (R) as he arrives for a European Council meetin, in Brussels on October 23, 2025.

Slovakia Opposes EU Plan To Use Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine Loan

TEC News November 10, 2025

“Do we want to end the war or are we stoking it?,” Robert Fico asks.

Ursula von der Leyen Pledges Blank Check to Ukraine

Sven R. Larson October 30, 2025

It is easy to make promises with other people’s money—in this case, frozen Russian assets. But those assets are nowhere near enough to pay for von der Leyen’s pledges. Who will be asked to foot the rest of the bill?

Brussels’ Reckless Push To Seize Russian Assets Will Hurt Europe

Rafael Pinto Borges October 29, 2025

When the war ends, Moscow will come looking for its money, and European taxpayers will be legally bound to return it. And that’s just part of the problem.

Brussels Wants To Finance Ukraine One Way or Another

Zolta Győri October 28, 2025

What is presented as solidarity is, in reality, a blank check written on the backs of European taxpayers.

Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (L) and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán talk prior the first session of an Informal Meeting of EU Heads of State and Government at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on October 1, 2025.

Orbán Condemns EU ‘War Plans’

TEC News October 2, 2025

The Hungarian PM claims that Brussels is gearing up for war and rejects EU membership for Ukraine, saying that a strategic relationship is needed instead.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes the oath of office, on January 13, 2020, at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

Hungary Sues EU Over Use of Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine Aid

Zoltán Kottász August 28, 2025

Budapest argues that the decision violated EU law because Hungary was denied its right to vote.

Tag: frozen Russian assets

Friday EU Talks Fail To Break Belgium’s Veto on Ukraine Funding Plan

Belgium Warns EU: We Won’t Pay the Price for Russian Asset Plan

UPDATED As the EU Pushes Sanctions, Orbán Talks Peace and Energy Cooperation in Moscow

Von der Leyen Proposes Further EU Debt To Save Ukraine

Slovakia Opposes EU Plan To Use Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine Loan

Ursula von der Leyen Pledges Blank Check to Ukraine

Brussels’ Reckless Push To Seize Russian Assets Will Hurt Europe

Brussels Wants To Finance Ukraine One Way or Another

Orbán Condemns EU ‘War Plans’

Hungary Sues EU Over Use of Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine Aid

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