Business & Economics
EU Scrambles to Win Belgium’s Nod for €90 bn Ukraine ‘Reparations Loan’ Backed by Frozen Russian Assets
On 5 Dec 2025, after unveiling legal texts to collateralise €210 bn in frozen Russian reserves, Ursula von der Leyen and Friedrich Merz held emergency Brussels talks with Belgian PM Bart De Wever, whose veto threatens the EU’s plan to raise a €90 bn loan for Ukraine’s 2026-27 budget.