German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has spoken out against transferring Russian assets frozen in the EU to the United States, Reuters reports.
According to Merz, some people in Washington want to gain certain economic benefits from frozen Russian assets.
"This is a European matter, and I see no way, in any form of economic benefit, to transfer the money we then mobilize to the United States of America. This money must go to Ukraine," the German Chancellor emphasizes.
The initial version of the US peace plan, published by the media, provided for $100 billion of frozen Russian assets to be invested in the reconstruction of Ukraine, and part of the remaining funds to be invested in a joint US-Russian fund.
The European Union wants to provide Ukraine with a reparations loan of €140 billion.
It is expected that frozen Russian assets will secure this.
For Ukraine to receive such a reparation loan, the consent of all EU member states is required.
However, the initiative is being blocked by Belgium, the country where the largest share of Russia's frozen assets is held.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever argues that the EU's plan to use Russia's frozen assets to finance Ukraine could have serious economic and geopolitical consequences.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said that the EU's proposal for a reparation loan for Ukraine does not meet his country's requirements.
That is why German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled his planned trip to Oslo on December 5 and urgently decided to join the negotiations between the Belgian Prime Minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the EU's large-scale plan to finance Ukraine.
