Von der Leyen, Rutte, Zelenskyy to mull support for Ukraine today

A meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled for Monday evening, EC Press Secretary Paula Pinho said at a briefing in Brussels, Report informs.

She said that the issue of financing for Ukraine is expected to be among the main topics of discussion.

Pinho also commented on von der Leyen's meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever on Friday, noting that "it was a useful exchange of views," but that the discussions are ongoing.

Earlier, Merz said the negotiations had been productive. Germany is ready to assume the largest share of the financial guarantees – 25% of the total amount offered to cover Belgium's risks.

However, the Belgian side continues to believe that the European Commission has not taken into account all of its concerns, and Belgium remains "vulnerable" to possible consequences.

Euroclear, a Belgian depository, also expressed dissatisfaction. In a statement, it called the EC's proposed reparations loan mechanism "weak, risky, and rather experimental."

France's refusal to disclose the location of €18 billion in frozen Russian assets has further fueled tension.

It is only known that they are held in private French banks and represent the second-largest assets of the Russian Central Bank in the EU.

France also refuses to provide information on how the accrued interest is being used.

Intensive negotiations continue, but time for a decision remains tight-the EU Council meeting will take place on December 18–19 in Brussels.