Funding for Ukraine: Dutch PM calls European Council meeting very important

He said this during a joint press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in The Hague on Tuesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The meeting on Thursday will be very important, because we need to decide how to finance Ukraine's needs in 2026 and 2027. There are several options. [...] This has already been said," Schoof said.

He also stressed that the position of every EU member state matters, but Belgium's role is particularly important, as the largest share of frozen Russian assets falls under its jurisdiction.

"We are fully aware of all the difficulties Belgium is facing, and I have also said repeatedly that the Netherlands' position is that we agree with Belgium that they cannot simply take risks. The only way forward is to provide a legally binding guarantee regarding the frozen assets, so that all EU member states receive their fair share. That is our position. This is something we discuss extensively within the European Council, including in recent days, of course, with the Prime Minister of Belgium and with others," Schoof said.

He added: "This will be a difficult decision, but I sincerely hope that we will reach agreement on Thursday and that Ukraine's financial needs can be addressed using the available resources."

As was reported earlier, the issue of a reparations loan for Ukraine will be considered at the European Council meeting scheduled for December 18-19 in Brussels.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine