Belgium rejected the European Commission's proposals to unlock a loan of 210 billion euros from frozen Russian assets, affecting the EU's hopes of reaching an agreement before the summit of heads of state. The Commission tried to convince member states to support the loan, but Belgium expressed its concerns about possible legal actions from Russia. Despite some concessions, including legal assurances and the request to denounce bilateral treaties with Russia, Belgium believes that these are not sufficient.
Four other countries supported Belgium's request to explore alternative financing options, such as joint debt, which led to divergences among member states. Supporters of the plan, such as Germany, warn that a failure of the initiative would severely affect the EU's ability to act in the future.