Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is at the EU summit, claims that "everyone agrees that we need a way to use Russian assets to help Ukraine," and that technical discussions are currently underway instead of discussing alternatives to financing for Ukraine, writes UNN with reference to Politico.
Details
Tusk stated that using frozen Russian assets is the only realistic way for Europe to finance support for Ukraine, arguing that alternatives such as joint EU debt do not have political support.
Everyone agrees that we need a way to use Russian assets to help Ukraine
He said that negotiations have moved from discussing alternatives to technical discussions on how a mechanism based on Russian assets could work, including guarantees for countries most exposed to potential retaliatory measures, particularly Belgium.
"We will strive for a reparations loan based on Russian assets," Tusk said. "The devil is in the details."
Meanwhile, The Guardian notes that Tusk said leaders are engaged in a "very complex process" of trying to reach an agreement, with the group of most critical countries, "theoretically most exposed to the risk of retaliatory or financial measures from Russia," primarily Belgium, demanding clear guarantees and safeguards. Tusk noted that they are looking for ways to ensure all countries are satisfied with the proposed measures.
Recall
It was previously reported that technical groups on the sidelines of the EU summit are trying to find a "way forward" regarding financing for Ukraine, and this could take "hours," amid the issue being moved up on the European Council's agenda, while a German official believes that discussions on a loan to Ukraine are "moving in the right direction."