Failure to Decide on Russian Assets a Blow to Merz and von der Leyen: Euractiv

Discussions within the European Union regarding the use of Russian assets have ended without a concrete decision, which, according to Euractiv, has resulted in a political failure for both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German politician Friedrich Merz.

As reported by Euractiv, no agreement was reached on the frozen Russian assets after a day-long negotiation between the European Commission and Belgian diplomats. Consequently, the issue remains unresolved, leading to dissatisfaction and criticism.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever told reporters after the EU summit that the negotiation process resembled a "sinking ship." He remarked, "It was like the Titanic, and in the end, everything just came to a halt." Despite this setback, Ursula von der Leyen and Friedrich Merz attempted to portray the outcome as a success. The European Commission President stated that she was pleased to announce that the process had concluded, emphasizing that Ukraine would only have to repay the loan if it receives compensation from Moscow.

For his part, Merz claimed that the idea of mobilizing funds for Ukraine was his own suggestion.