COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on Thursday he asked other European Union leaders to give guarantees they would share the risks if frozen Russian assets held in his country were used to finance loans to Ukraine.
At a summit in Copenhagen on Wednesday, EU leaders expressed broad support for the idea of using Russian assets frozen in the West to provide a 140 billion euro loan to Ukraine but said they would discuss it further to try and sort out legal aspects of the operation.
Belgium, where most of the frozen assets are located, is adamant that before it agrees to the plan, it would need strong EU guarantees that it would not be left alone to deal with Moscow if the Russian assets had to be suddenly returned.
"There's no free money. There are always consequences," De Wever told reporters in Copenhagen. "I explained to my colleagues yesterday that I want their signature saying, if we take Putin's money, we use it, we're all going to be responsible if it goes wrong."
As U.S.-funded military aid for Kyiv is ending and many EU governments face fiscal struggles, the European Commission has proposed the EU should use the cash balances from frozen Russian central bank securities to support Kyiv in 2026 and 2027.
The Kremlin has condemned the proposal as "pure theft."
"Don't put me in the role of the bad guy here," De Wever said. "I've been very constructive from day one," he said, adding that he needs a maximum of legal certainty and solidarity.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the EU executive would develop the plan further and make sure Belgium's concerns are addressed.
"It's absolutely clear that Belgium cannot be the one who is the only member state that is carrying the risk, the risk has to be put on broader shoulders," she said.
(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Writing by Inti Landauro and Ingrid Melander; Editing by Makini Brice)
