Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Survey: 67 Percent of Belgians Reject Russian Assets Use for Ukraine


(MENAFN) A substantial majority of Belgian citizens are pushing back against European Union proposals to leverage frozen Russian funds for Ukrainian aid, fresh polling data shows.

Nearly two-thirds—67%—of Belgians oppose their government's participation in the scheme to unlock immobilized Russian assets, mirroring the stance of Prime Minister Bart De Wever, according to survey results published Monday by several media outlets.

The widespread resistance stems largely from fears about systemic financial risks Belgium could face, given that the bulk of contested assets—approximately €185 billion—sit with Euroclear in Brussels, which serves as both Belgium's capital and the EU's de facto headquarters.

Multiple EU nations, including Belgium, have voiced legal objections to the plan, citing the concentration of Russian holdings in the Belgian financial system as a potential vulnerability.

Just 22% of Belgians back utilizing the Russian funds for Ukraine, while 11% expressed no interest in the matter, the poll found.

Russia's Central Bank has branded the proposal illegal and "reserved the right to take any measures necessary to protect its interests."

The controversy intensifies as the EU formally moved Friday to "indefinitely immobilize" Russian state assets, with bloc leaders expected to finalize Ukraine funding decisions at a two-day Brussels summit beginning Thursday.

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