Part 4/9:
The EU’s leaders are caught in a delicate balancing act. On one hand, freezing Russia’s assets serves as a punitive measure designed to weaken Moscow’s economic and military capacity. On the other hand, outright seizure of these assets risks violating international law, provoking legal chaos, and damaging confidence in the eurozone’s financial institutions.
Belgium, in particular, fears that unfreezing and confiscating Russian assets could trigger a legal backlash and undermine the integrity of its financial system. As a compromise, most EU members prefer to keep these assets frozen, avoiding the legal complications associated with outright seizure.