Merz to head to Brussels for Ukraine loan talks
Summary
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has postponed a Norway trip to attend talks in Brussels focused on using frozen Russian assets to fund a loan to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Key Points
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz postponed a Norway trip to attend talks in Brussels about funding Ukraine using frozen Russian assets.
- The EU plans a loan to Ukraine which would be repaid by any eventual Russian reparations.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated 90 billion euros could be raised via EU borrowing or frozen Russian central bank assets.
- Belgium, holding most frozen Russian assets via Euroclear, opposes the reparations loan plan, favoring EU market borrowing instead.
