BRUSSELS, December 17. /TASS/. The attempts to force through a decision to expropriate Russia's frozen assets by voting on a qualified majority basis will undermine solidarity within the community, the Euractiv portal reported, citing European diplomats and officials.
This will undermine solidarity within the bloc and further strengthen the domestic political position of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who opposed this decision, as well as set a disastrous precedent as any member state the size of Belgium could find itself at a disadvantage compared to larger countries if it stood in the way of an overall majority, according to the portal.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his supporters are bluffing in this situation as both he and the EU leadership understand that implementing the plan bypassing Belgium will delegitimize the entire scheme, especially given the concerns of countries such as Italy and the Czech Republic, Euractiv said. Even if Brussels decides to take this step, it remains unclear whether Belgium or the international depository Euroclear will comply, the portal wrote. Politico previously reported that the EU was discussing the possibility of granting Ukraine access to frozen Russian assets bypassing Belgium's position.
On December 12, the Council of the European Union decided to indefinitely block Russia’s sovereign assets. The European Commission hopes to secure a decision at the EU summit on December 18-19 to expropriate 210 bln euro in Russian assets, of which 185 bln euro are frozen at the Euroclear platform.