Name: Von der Leyen pushes ahead with reparations loan for Ukraine
Uploaded: 2025-12-03T20:05:53.575Z
Duration: 1 min 35 s
Description: Ursula von der Leyen has offered sweeping guarantees for Belgium to agree to an unprecedented reparations loan for Ukraine. Belgian authorities say risks could be fatal. EU leaders will gather on 18 December to make a final decision. If no deal is found, the EU will resort to joint debt.

Ursula von der Leyen has offered sweeping guarantees for Belgium to agree to an unprecedented reparations loan for Ukraine. Belgian authorities say risks could be fatal. EU leaders will gather on 18 December to make a final decision. If no deal is found, the EU will resort to joint debt.

Brussels

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that Belgium will receive extensive guarantees as part of efforts to unblock a reparations loan for Ukraine. The proposed scheme would use approximately 185 billion euros in frozen Russian assets, mostly held in Brussels, to support Ukraine's financial and military needs over the next two years.

Belgium has expressed concerns about potential retaliation from Moscow and possible financial losses, demanding comprehensive guarantees from other EU member states. The European Commission has incorporated most of Belgium's concerns into the proposal, which includes strong safeguards for member states. If an agreement is not reached, the EU may resort to joint borrowing, similar to measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Von der Leyen pushes ahead with reparations loan for Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that Belgium will receive sweeping guarantees in order to unblock a controversial reparations loan for Ukraine. Belgium remains opposed to the scheme, which would channel frozen Russian assets to cover Ukraine's financial and military needs for the next two years. The bulk of the assets, about 185 billion euros, are held at Euroclear, a central securities depository in Brussels. We have listened very carefully to Belgium's concerns and we have taken almost all of them into account in our proposal that is today on the table of the reparations loans. We have very strong safeguards in place to protect member states and to reduce the risks as much as possible. The reparations loan is von der Leyen's preferred option to cover the 90 billion euros Europe is meant to contribute to funding for Ukraine. Since the start of discussions in September, Belgium has demanded all-encompassing guarantees from other member states to shield itself against retaliation from Moscow and prevent multi-billion euro losses. If no deal is found on the reparations loan, the EU will resort to joint borrowing, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guarantees, outlined on Wednesday, present the Commission's most comprehensive attempt to overcome Belgium's resistance before a crucial EU summit on 18 December.

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Von der Leyen pushes ahead with reparations loan for Ukraine

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