BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday he is pressing the Belgian government to come to an agreement with the EU to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine.
The European Commission and multiple EU member states want to use immobilized Russian central bank assets to provide Kyiv with loans but Belgium, which hosts international deposit organization Euroclear, fears such a move could expose it to crippling legal and financial reprisals from Moscow.
Speaking at a press conference alongside his Slovenian counterpart Robert Golob, Merz said: “We must do everything we can to bring this war to an end and the use of Russian assets is, in my opinion, an appropriate instrument.”
He said that he was in contact with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on the issue.
“I understand his concerns, he has good arguments but we also have good arguments about reaching our common goal,” he said.
“We are looking for a joint solution with the Belgian state and also with Euroclear so that we can decide on this within the EU with the widest consensus possible.”
EU leaders have proposed using the Russian assets to provide Kyiv with a 140-billion-euro ($162 billion) loan to plug looming budget black holes.
Out of 235 billion euros’ worth of such assets in the EU as a whole, around 210 billion are held by Euroclear.
Merz underlined the urgent need to apply “maximum pressure” on Russia and dismissed threats of reprisals from Moscow.
Such pronouncements from Moscow are “a repeated ritual,” Merz said: “We will not be swayed by them.”
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Germany pressing Belgium on frozen Russian assets
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Germany pressing Belgium on frozen Russian assets
- Merz said: “The use of Russian assets is, in my opinion, an appropriate instrument“
- Merz underlined the urgent need to apply “maximum pressure” on Russia and dismissed threats of reprisals from Moscow
Taiwan says China deploys warships in ‘military operations’
TAIPEI: Taiwan said Friday that China had deployed warships for “military operations” stretching hundreds of kilometers from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea, posing a “threat” to the region.
Beijing, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, neither confirmed nor denied the maneuvers.
Taiwan’s defense ministry and other security agencies were monitoring China’s activities and had a “complete grasp of the situation,” presidential office spokeswoman Karen Kuo told reporters.
She did not say how many Chinese ships were involved in the deployment, but a security source told AFP the number was “significant.” The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The operations were not limited to the Taiwan Strait, but extended from the southern Yellow Sea, to the East China Sea near the disputed Diaoyu Islands and on into the South China Sea and even the Western Pacific, Kuo said.
“This indeed poses a threat and impact on the Indo-Pacific and the entire region,” she said.
Taiwan urged China to “exercise restraint,” Kuo said, adding: “We are also confident that we can handle this matter well.”
Neither China’s armed forces nor state media have announced any increased military activity in the region where Taiwan said Chinese ships had been detected.
Beijing’s foreign ministry did not answer directly when asked if the military was amassing a large number of naval vessels in those waters.
“I want to emphasize that China has consistently followed a defensive policy,” spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press briefing.
“The Chinese navy and coast guard strictly operate in relevant waters according to Chinese domestic law and international law,” Lin said.
He urged “relevant parties” not to “overreact or... engage in groundless hype.”
China has refused to rule out using force to take Taiwan, and also claims contentious sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea.
Taiwan’s intelligence chief Tsai Ming-yen said Wednesday that October to December was the “peak season” for China’s “annual evaluation exercises.”
There was a possibility that China’s ruling Communist Party could turn seemingly routine military activities into drills targeting Taiwan, Tsai warned.
Beijing, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, neither confirmed nor denied the maneuvers.
Taiwan’s defense ministry and other security agencies were monitoring China’s activities and had a “complete grasp of the situation,” presidential office spokeswoman Karen Kuo told reporters.
She did not say how many Chinese ships were involved in the deployment, but a security source told AFP the number was “significant.” The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The operations were not limited to the Taiwan Strait, but extended from the southern Yellow Sea, to the East China Sea near the disputed Diaoyu Islands and on into the South China Sea and even the Western Pacific, Kuo said.
“This indeed poses a threat and impact on the Indo-Pacific and the entire region,” she said.
Taiwan urged China to “exercise restraint,” Kuo said, adding: “We are also confident that we can handle this matter well.”
Neither China’s armed forces nor state media have announced any increased military activity in the region where Taiwan said Chinese ships had been detected.
Beijing’s foreign ministry did not answer directly when asked if the military was amassing a large number of naval vessels in those waters.
“I want to emphasize that China has consistently followed a defensive policy,” spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press briefing.
“The Chinese navy and coast guard strictly operate in relevant waters according to Chinese domestic law and international law,” Lin said.
He urged “relevant parties” not to “overreact or... engage in groundless hype.”
China has refused to rule out using force to take Taiwan, and also claims contentious sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea.
Taiwan’s intelligence chief Tsai Ming-yen said Wednesday that October to December was the “peak season” for China’s “annual evaluation exercises.”
There was a possibility that China’s ruling Communist Party could turn seemingly routine military activities into drills targeting Taiwan, Tsai warned.
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