(MENAFN- UkrinForm) This was stated by the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, according to PAP and Ukrinform.

“The reparations loan is an issue on which the outcome of this war may depend, as well as the outcome of these (peace) negotiations, because if Putin comes to the conclusion that Ukraine has this money and can finance both the state and its defense for 2-3 years, he will have to recalculate whether he can afford to wage his war,” Sikorski emphasized.

He joined European leaders in urging the Belgian Prime Minister to transfer these assets to support Ukraine, noting that this“could be the greatest factor in accelerating peace, while blocking them is very dangerous for Ukraine and for Europe.”

At the same time, Sikorski noted that European countries should share with Belgium the responsibility and risks of using Russian assets to assist Ukraine.

Read also: EU foreign ministers discuss increasing assistance to Ukraine

As reported, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the new EC proposal for a reparations loan for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets takes into account almost all of Belgium's concerns.

To strengthen Ukraine's financial resilience amid continued Russian aggression, the European Commission proposed two solutions to meet Ukraine's financial needs for 2026–2027: EU borrowing and a reparations loan.

Earlier, Belgium's Euroclear depository, which holds most of Russia's frozen assets, warned that European governments could face higher debt costs if the EU uses frozen Russian assets to provide Ukraine with loans totaling €140 billion.

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