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New EU draft text on Russian assets offers uncapped guarantees for Belgium
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
EU draft text offers Belgium unlimited guarantees for frozen Russian assets, addressing potential Moscow lawsuits and allowing offset against Russian assets.
BRUSSELS, Dec 18 (Reuters) - A new draft text discussed by European Union leaders on Thursday offers Belgium and other countries holding frozen Russian assets unlimited guarantees for potential damages, should Moscow successfully sue them for an EU plan to lend them to Ukraine.
The new draft text, seen by Reuters, also offers EU countries and institutions whose assets may be seized by Russia in retaliation the possibility to offset such damages against Russian assets held by the EU.
The text, which is under discussion and could still change, also says the EU would put in place a mechanism offering unconditional, irrevocable, on-demand guarantees that the EU would swiftly repay the Russian central bank assets in all circumstances should the need arise.
Asked about the chances of the text being adopted in this form, EU diplomats said the lack of a limit on the guarantees would be a problem for many countries.
(Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray, editing by Bart Meijer)
A central bank is a national financial institution that manages a country's currency, money supply, and interest rates, and oversees the banking system to ensure economic stability.
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An investment is an asset or item acquired with the goal of generating income or appreciation. Investments can include stocks, bonds, real estate, and other financial instruments.
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