French President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of betraying German Chancellor Friedrich Merz by quietly blocking a plan to use frozen Russian assets to bankroll Ukraine, according to a report by the Financial Times.
The proposal, backed strongly by Berlin, would have tapped billions in immobilised Russian central bank funds, but collapsed this week after EU leaders failed to reach agreement.
Citing a senior EU diplomat, the Financial Times reported that Macron privately undermined the initiative by questioning its legal basis, despite avoiding open opposition in public. Behind closed doors, French officials reportedly warned that Paris, already burdened by rising debt, would not provide financial guarantees if the seized assets were later required to be returned to Russia.
France is said to have joined a group of sceptical states including Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, effectively killing the plan. Instead, EU leaders approved a €90 billion interest-free loan to Ukraine backed by the bloc’s budget, shifting the cost onto taxpayers across most member states.
The episode has exposed deepening fractures at the heart of the EU, with tensions between Berlin and Paris increasingly visible. Moscow has warned that any confiscation of its assets would come at a price, while legal action is already under way against institutions holding the frozen funds.
Kremlin outlines conditions for talks with Macron
https://www.rt.com/russia/629836-kremlin-conditions-talks-macron/
Macron is in damage control mode
In wanting to save His Own skin
With Frances economy imploding
But peace may be more dangerous to Macron than war
There is no honor among thieves
Unelected Politburo Scum, masquerading as” EU leaders” approved a €90 billion interest-free loan to Ukraine backed by the Union bloc’s budget, shifting the cost onto the taxpayer slaves of its member states.
Updates
https://www.rt.com/news/629852-france-russia-potential-talks/