Belgian Public Votes Against EU Proposal on Russian Assets

(MENAFN) Roughly two-thirds of Belgium’s population oppose a European Union initiative aimed at channeling frozen Russian holdings into a loan package for Ukraine, as indicated by a recent opinion poll conducted by leading Belgian media organizations.

Echoing the stance of Prime Minister Bart De Wever, 67% of respondents stated that Belgium’s authorities should refuse to approve the unfreezing of Russian assets. The poll was carried out collaboratively by RTL Info, IPSOS, and Le Soir, with the findings made public on Monday.

Apprehension over possible systemic and financial repercussions for Belgium is widely believed to be the primary driver behind public resistance to the proposal.

A number of EU countries, Belgium among them, have voiced legal objections, emphasizing that the majority of the disputed funds are safeguarded by Euroclear in Brussels, which serves both as Belgium’s capital and the EU’s de facto administrative center.

In contrast, 22% of those surveyed expressed approval for deploying the Russian funds, whereas 11% indicated they had no particular interest in the matter.

Russia’s Central Bank condemned the initiative as unlawful and stated that it retains the right to pursue any actions deemed necessary to defend its interests.

Last Friday, the EU proceeded to "indefinitely immobilize" Russian assets, and European leaders are expected to deliberate on directing these resources to Ukraine during a two-day summit in Brussels beginning Thursday.

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