US pressures EU to halt Ukraine's reparations loan — Bloomberg
Photo: US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
The US is pressuring the EU to suspend the provision of a reparations loan to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets, insisting that they be preserved for a possible peace agreement, according to Bloomberg.
According to European diplomats familiar with the discussions, the US is actively negotiating behind closed doors with European countries in an attempt to block the EU's plan to use frozen Russian assets for a large loan to Ukraine.
American officials are privately convincing the governments of EU member states that these funds could play a key role in a possible future peace settlement between Kyiv and Moscow.
Washington argues that the assets should not be used to prolong the war, but rather held back as a tool for political pressure on Russia and an element of a potential agreement.
The US State Department has not yet commented on the information about pressure on European partners.
European leaders respond harshly
Europe has reacted sharply to the American arguments. In particular, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that frozen Russian assets are exclusively a European matter, as the funds are held in European jurisdictions.
"No possibility of leaving the money we mobilize to the US. This money must flow to Ukraine — it must help Ukraine," Merz emphasizes.
EU plan for frozen Russian assets
This week, the European Union presented a plan to use frozen Russian assets to secure a €90 billion loan. These funds are intended to cover Ukraine's economic and military needs over the next two years.
Currently, the European Union holds approximately €210 billion in assets belonging to the Russian Central Bank, and it is expected that even more could be seized starting in 2028.
EU debate on frozen Russian assets
There is significant resistance to the final decision from Belgium, where a large part of the assets are located. Brussels fears that Europe or even the Belgian budget could be hit if Russia wins potential international lawsuits for the return of funds.
The Belgian Prime Minister has put forward conditions for a reparation loan to Ukraine.
That is why German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled his planned trip to Oslo on December 5 and urgently decided to join the negotiations between Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the EU's large-scale plan to finance Ukraine.
Incidentally, half of Europeans consider Trump an enemy of Europe.
