Lithuanian foreign minister pushes EU to reopen debate on frozen Russian assets for Ukraine
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys urged the EU to restart talks on using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s military and civilian needs.
At a press briefing before an EU foreign affairs council session, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys asked the Union to revive discussions on deploying frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s war effort and civilian reconstruction. He argued that the current interim financing only addresses military needs and that a broader, longer-term strategy is required. The EU is contemplating the use of about €200 billion in Russian central-bank reserves held mainly by Euroclear, alongside extending sanctions to roughly 1,600 more Russian entities and targeting key energy firms.
Belgium, however, has resisted similar moves, demanding guarantees against potential legal challenges from Russia. Recent appeals from Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands and Spain echo Budrys’s stance, but Belgian defence minister Theo Francken dismissed further negotiations, warning against pressuring Belgium. The dispute unfolds amid ongoing litigation between Euroclear and the Russian central bank over the frozen assets.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTCenter coverage stresses the diplomatic push to reopen EU debate on using frozen Russian assets and highlights Belgium’s resistance, while right-leaning coverage frames the issue around Ukraine’s large budget shortfall and the legal shift of liability across EU states.
CENTER
Centrist coverage frames the story as a diplomatic effort by EU members, led by Lithuania and supported by several countries, to restart talks on using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s broader, long-term financing, noting Belgium’s objections.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage frames the story as Ukraine confronting a massive budget deficit and urging increasingly open EU allies to release frozen Russian assets now, emphasizing legal adjustments that would spread liability across the bloc.
The right emphasises
- budget deficit exceeding $32 billion and a €27 billion defence funding request
- several EU members pushing to reopen talks on €210 billion of frozen assets
- legal adjustments shifting responsibility from Belgium to all 27 EU states
