Russia won’t lose – Belgium’s PM makes controversial statement on Russian assets

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-won-t-lose-belgium-s-pm-makes-controversial-1764794303.html

by vegarig

18 comments

  2. >Belgium believes that Russia will not lose the war in Ukraine, and that claims about its defeat are “a fairy tale and a complete illusion.” Therefore, frozen assets will have to be returned to Russia after the war. Russia has openly threatened Belgium with “eternal retaliation” if it confiscates the assets, said Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in an interview with La Libre.

    >De Wever spoke about “incredible pressure” surrounding the issue of seizing Russia’s frozen assets. At the same time, the Belgian Prime Minister insists on calling attempts to transfer Russia’s funds to Ukraine a theft.

    >”Stealing frozen assets of another country, its sovereign wealth funds, has never been done before. This is the money of the Central Bank of Russia. Even during World War II, Germany’s money wasn’t confiscated, it was frozen,” he said.

    >De Wever added that after a war ends, the country that lost must give up all or part of its assets. However, the Belgian Prime Minister appears to believe that Russia is winning the war. Moreover, he claims that a Russian defeat would be undesirable.

    >”*But who really believes that Russia will lose in Ukraine? Russia will not lose. This is a fairy tale, a complete illusion*. ***It is even undesirable for them to lose, so that instability doesn’t grip a country that possesses nuclear weapons***,” he said.

    >According to De Wever, the Kremlin has directly threatened Brussels, promising “eternal retaliation” if Belgium allows the European Union to confiscate Russian assets.

    >”Who believes that Putin would calmly accept the confiscation of Russian assets? Moscow made it clear that if confiscation happens, Belgium and I personally will feel the consequences forever. That seems like a rather long time,” he said.

  3. > It is even undesirable for them to lose, so that instability doesn’t grip a country that possesses nuclear weapons,” he said

    Not so long ago, you couldn’t even say something like that publicly – even if it’s obviously true.

  4. The world is currently being run by small men casting long shadows.

  6. It’s not that controversial.

    What he said: “But who really believes that Russia will lose in Ukraine? Russia will not lose. This is a fairy tale, a complete illusion. It is even undesirable for them to lose, so that instability doesn’t grip a country that possesses nuclear weapons.”

    Ukraine won’t win back its territory and force Russia’s capitulation in any foreseeable time line, even with full support from Europe. The best anyone hopes for is to start moving the front line eastward and either obtain an armistice, or wait for Putin to die and for Russia to quit fighting on its own. That’s not Russia losing, in the sense that the PM meant. Nobody on earth, and I mean NOBODY, is proposing to drive to Moscow and unmake Russian sovereignty.

    The PM is right. Taking a country’s sovereign wealth is theft. I think that should be under consideration right now, but you have to call it what it is.

  7. I hope he is ready to send Belgium troops to fight Russia.

  9. He’s terrified. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been threatened with defenestration.

  10. Wouldn’t russia winning be all the more reason to confiscate the money, so they can’t use it to re-arm and push further into Europe? Confiscate hundred of billions of dollars also helps defeat russia.

    This type of small-minded cowardice is so disgusting.

  11. Hey Belgium why don’t you shut up and go back to being irrelevant and vague. France speaks for you.

  12. Well, unless Germany and France and the UK start acting like they want Ukrain to win, he’s not wrong. Europe has been far too timid and is still focused too much on flattering Trump and not asserting their own power. Given that it is a bloc far larger and wealthier than Russia, it is embarrassing and saddening. Europe looks pathetic, indecisive, and cowardly.

  14. Does he not see that Russia can’t win? Russia is only 140 million people. (Less now).

  15. Damn, as a Brit I am beginning to think now that it was a mistake we supported the creation of Belgium as a sovereign state in 1839. /s

  16. King Leopold II set a tone of amorality and vacuousness for Belgium that’s still with us

  17. Belgian here and ashamed of our PM but sadly not surprised as the guy:

    – wants his own country to disappear so that his tiny little region can become a sovereign country

    – is from a party which, in its older version, collaborated with the nazis

    – has some fascists within its ranks

  18. If only there was something his country could do that would change the probability of that outcome…

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