"As we know, the opposition is led by Belgium and its outspoken prime minister Bart de Wever, with Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Malta also against. Italy has some doubts too (at least for now?), and Hungary, traditionally, is against anything that would help Ukraine. Slovakia appears to be leaning towards against too, with prime minister Robert Fico saying this morning that he won't support anything that prolongs the war and would increase military spending."
"EU leaders are entering final stages of negotiations ahead of this week's crunch European Council meeting in Brussels, at which they will have to decide the critical decision on whether to use frozen Russian assets to fund a reparations loan for Ukraine. Some 24 hours before they start their talks on Thursday, there is no agreement in sight, as Belgium continues to oppose the European Commission's proposals as it worries about possible legal challenges from Russia."
"As it stands, that's not enough to block the proposal (unless France switches sides, essentially) but that's assuming the supporters will really push it to the vote. While technically possible, it feels deeply implausible politically. Let's see if we get any further political signals from the capitals during the day."
EU leaders must decide whether to use frozen Russian assets to fund a reparations loan for Ukraine at an upcoming European Council meeting in Brussels. Belgium leads opposition, citing concerns about legal challenges from Russia. Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Malta oppose the proposal; Hungary opposes measures seen as aiding Ukraine. Italy expresses doubts and Slovakia's prime minister Robert Fico has vowed not to support measures that prolong the war or increase military spending. Passage could be attempted under qualified majority voting, but lack of unified support makes political advance uncertain absent stronger backing or shifts from key states.
#frozen-russian-assets #ukraine-reparations-loan #qualified-majority-vote #eu-member-state-opposition
Read at www.theguardian.com
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