--- title: "Belgium sets condition on Russian assets: Prevot warns of risk of returning €200 billion" description: "🇧🇪 Maxime Prévot stated that Belgium is ready to help Ukraine but demands guarantees regarding frozen Russian assets. The minister warned: if a court orders the return of €200 billion to Russia in 10–15 years, the Belgian budget will not withstand it. Brussels insists on collective responsibility of EU countries. #Belgium #Ukraine #MaximePrevot #RussianAssets" date: 2026-08-18T12:38:04.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/belgium-sets-condition-on-russian-assets-prevot-warns-of-risk-of-returning-200-billion-euros tags: [belgium, ukraine, maxime-prevot, russia-assets, european-union] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Belgium sets condition on Russian assets: Prevot warns of risk of returning €200 billion ![Belgian Finance Minister Patrick Prevo warns about the risks of returning 200 billion euros of frozen Russian assets](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/18/belgiya-ustanovila-uslovie-po-aktivam-rf-prevopredupredil-o-riskax/belgiya-ustanovila-uslovie-po-aktivam-rf-prevopredupredil-o-riskax-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Belgium requires the EU to agree on a risk distribution mechanism before using Russian assets. - Maxime Prévot warned of the impossibility of returning €200 billion in the event of a court ruling against Belgium. - Brussels supports a €90 billion loan for Ukraine but fears direct reparations from Russian assets. - In December 2025, the European Commission's proposal for €210 billion was rejected due to legal risks. ### Brussels ready to help, but demands insurance: Maxime Prévot's position Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has articulated his country's principled stance on the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. In a statement made in August 2026, the Foreign Minister emphasized that Belgium does not refuse to help Kyiv, but insists on establishing a clear mechanism for distributing legal and financial risks among all EU member states. According to Prévot, without prior agreement on liability, Brussels cannot give the "green light" to use funds held in Belgian banks, as this could pose a threat to the national economy. Prévot categorically rejected any interpretation of his caution as sympathy for Moscow. "Belgium's unwillingness, or even refusal, to use these frozen Russian assets must in no way be understood or interpreted as a refusal to help Ukraine, let alone as a desire to provide any support to Russia," the minister stated. He emphasized that Belgian legal experts have identified significant risks that could affect not only the country but the European financial system as a whole if the issue is resolved without adequate legal preparation. ### Financial threat: scenario of returning €200 billion The key argument for caution is the scale of financial obligations that could arise in the future. Maxime Prévot cited a frightening figure: if international courts order Belgium to return frozen funds to Russia in 10–15 years, the country will not be able to cover such costs independently. "Otherwise, if in 10 or 15 years Belgium is ordered to return all funds, it will not be able to independently bear the burden of returning more than €200 billion. Proportionally, this is unthinkable for our budget," he noted. Thus, Belgium advocates for European countries to agree in advance on mutual responsibility for the possible consequences of using assets. Brussels fears that in the event of a future legal defeat, the entire weight of compensation will fall on the shoulders of individual states rather than being distributed at the European Union level. ### Political context: support for a €90 billion loan Despite its tough stance on frozen assets, Belgium is demonstrating a willingness to support Ukraine in other ways. Prévot confirmed that Belgium supported the EU decision to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan in 2026–2027. The minister noted that the risks identified earlier have not disappeared, but the country has no principled objections to using these funds to support the Ukrainian cause, provided they are not linked to the direct use of frozen Russian capital without guarantees. ### Contradictory data The question of using Russian assets remains one of the most complex in EU diplomacy. On the one hand, in December 2025, the European Commission proposed that Belgium unlock a reparations loan for Ukraine of €210 billion from frozen Russian assets. On the other hand, Brussels did not dare to take such a step at that time, and now, almost a year later, Belgium's position remains unchanged: the mechanism must be safe. The disagreement lies in the fact that Kyiv and some EU countries see the assets as a ready resource for immediate aid, while Belgium insists on years of legal preparation to avoid catastrophic financial losses in the future. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why does Belgium not want to use frozen Russian assets? **A:** Belgium fears legal risks: if a court orders the return of funds to Russia in 10–15 years, the country will not be able to independently cover losses of more than €200 billion. ### Q: Does Belgium support aid to Ukraine? **A:** Yes, Belgium supported the EU decision on a €90 billion loan, but insists on a safe mechanism for using Russian assets. ### Q: What did the European Commission propose in December 2025? **A:** The European Commission proposed unlocking a reparations loan of €210 billion from Russian assets, but Belgium did not agree to this step at the time.