German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that attempting to access the Russian Central Bank’s assets could impact financial markets. Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever agreed with Merz and added “I know that there are governments that dream of confiscating these funds. But I would like to warn you: from a legal point of view, it is not that simple”. He added that using the proceeds from these assets to help Ukraine is acceptable, but warned against using the principal amount, as he believes this could have legal consequences.
De Wever explained: “It is like the goose that lays the golden eggs. We must keep this goose. When we talk about a peace treaty, then the goose can be put on the table. Until then, I think it is wise to keep the situation as it is today”.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: “Regarding the frozen Russian assets: I think this is part of the negotiations with Putin. So, I don’t think we should immediately confiscate them. This is an important lever in the negotiation process”. He also did not rule out that some or all of these assets could be used for Ukraine’s reconstruction.