Merz's government has no objection to the use of frozen Russian assets in Ukraine

Germany has signaled that it is open to the European Union's plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. According to information from the daily newspaper Politico, up to €200 billion in Russian funds held in a Belgian depository could be replaced by bonds covered by the Union.

This move would provide Kiev with additional funds at a time when there are doubts about US President Donald Trump's future commitment to Ukraine.

So far, the European Union has only used the interest from the frozen Russian assets, which have been blocked since the invasion began in February 2022. Germany, which has long been skeptical about the idea of a complete seizure of the assets due to legal risks, is reconsidering its position, according to Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil.

The issue is also expected to be discussed at next week's informal summit of EU heads of state and government in Copenhagen.

(reuters, max)