German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is seeking a solution with Belgium on the issue of the provision of Russian funds to support Ukraine.
On Thursday, Merz said that he was taking the Belgian government's concerns seriously. "The points are important and we need to talk about them and I will try to resolve them."
Earlier, a government spokesman in Berlin announced that Merz had postponed an upcoming trip to Norway to be able to travel to Belgium for a meeting with Prime Minister Bart de Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
European Union leaders must adopt a common position and, in particular, reach an agreement with Belgium, Merz said.
The talks over dinner in Brussels on Friday are likely to focus on the European Commission's proposal for using Russian assets frozen in the European Union to support Ukraine.
Merz said: "I don't want to persuade him. I want to convince him that the path we are proposing here is the right one. And if we take this path, then we will take it in order to help Ukraine."
The Russian central bank assets managed by the Belgian financial institution Euroclear are estimated at around €185 billion ($215.6 billion).
The Belgian government has repeatedly called for the involvement of other EU states in order to minimize the risk of Belgium becoming the sole target of possible retaliatory measures.
Merz said that Germany would be one of the possible "guarantor states" for safeguarding the assets in the Belgian capital.
According to EU officials, the commission is looking to unlock Russian funds frozen in Belgium, Germany and other member states to provide Kiev with a loan for reparations of up to €210 billion ($245 billion).
De Wever emphasized once again Thursday evening in parliament that Belgium would "not burden [itself] with irresponsible risks."
Merz was originally due to travel to Oslo on Friday where he was to be hosted by King Harald V and Crown Prince Haakon in the Royal Palace in Oslo.
The German leader was also scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Excited visitors for NASA's moon launch jockey for prime views - 2Fabricated statement about Malaysian national exam top scorers stokes racial sentiment
- 3I visited the largest collection of public telescopes in the US in Oregon's high desert, and the dark skies blew me away
- 4Hundreds of kilos of protected plant seized by Israel Nature and Parks Authority in Golan
- 5Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson to reprise their roles for new 'Hunger Games' movie 'Sunrise on the Reaping'
- Artemis II updates: NASA's moon mission breaks Apollo record for farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth
- Muslim Brotherhood stole half a billion dollars in Gaza donations, Arab sources reveal
- Why Cannes Is the Ultimate New Year’s Eve Destination in the South of France’s Off-Season
- Instructions to Augment the Presentation of Your Kona SUV
- German state railway loss widens, passengers warned of trouble ahead
- 6 Financial plan 3D Printers with the Best Worth
- Antimatter took to the road for the very first time. Here’s why it matters
- Federal judge upholds Hawaii's new climate change tax on cruise passengers
- NASA unveils close-up pictures of the comet popping by from another star
