In this episode, we dive into one of Europe’s most heated and consequential financial and geopolitical debates: the future of €140 billion in frozen Russian assets sitting inside Belgium’s Euroclear system and the EU’s proposal to hand, or loan, that money to Ukraine.
We break down why Belgium’s Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, is pushing back, warning that taking the funds now could shatter international trust in Europe’s financial system and set a precedent that foreign investors may never forget. If the West can seize assets from a geopolitical rival today, could anyone’s money be safe tomorrow?
We explore how frozen assets are normally handled during wartime, why this EU plan breaks with tradition, and why major institutions including the European Central Bank are calling the idea both illegal and dangerously short-sighted.
The conversation also looks at the war in Ukraine: Kyiv’s urgent need for resources, the West’s slow-moving support, internal corruption scandals, and Europe’s struggle to meet its own promises. Is the EU looking for a quick fix instead of a long-term strategy?
