Zelensky meets Belgian Prime Minister De Wever, but silence reigns on Russian assets

On October 15, President Vladimir Zelensky held a 20-minute meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, while the EU leaders’ summit unfolded in Brussels. However, the summit did not result in any significant progress concerning the fate of the €200 billion in Russian assets frozen under Belgian control. Zelensky's post following the meeting highlighted Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and cooperation with Belgium in obtaining fighter jets and ammunition to counter Moscow's jet-powered Shahed drones, but did not mention the Russian assets.

Similarly, De Wever's chief of staff, Pascal Heyman, shared a picture of the meeting and stated that they discussed Russia's war in Ukraine and Belgium's support for Ukraine, but once again avoided discussing the frozen assets. The Belgian prime minister, known for opposing the use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's needs in the past, including in December 2025, was expected to raise the topic during this meeting.

While Ukrainian politicians have called for Europe to utilize the frozen assets, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha even wrote an opinion piece in Politico advocating for this action. Zelensky reiterated his stance on Twitter, emphasizing the importance of keeping the assets frozen until the war continues, as Russia could invest them in further destruction in Europe.

U.S. diplomats suggested transferring the frozen assets from Europe to U.S. jurisdiction for use in negotiations with Russia, but this proposal received little support at the summit and faced significant criticism.