The Belgian government announced this Friday the availability of a new amount of almost 100 million euros to support Ukraine and its people, aid received from tax revenues from Russian assets frozen in Belgium.
Half of the 92 million earmarked for aid to Ukraine, which has been waging a war of aggression against Russia for more than 14 months, will be in the form of armored vehicles, weapons and ammunition, the first deliveries of which are expected “very soon”. explained the Belgian leader in a statement.
The other half is intended for the civilian population, for humanitarian aid distributed in major cities in agreement with the UN, and for the “consolidation” of the Belgian diplomatic presence in the region.
In this regard, Belgium will open two diplomatic posts in Chisinau, in Moldova, and in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib mentioned, in particular, the need to “escort and protect” the numerous Ukrainian emigrants in neighboring Moldova.
“To end the war, it is necessary that the counter-offensive that Ukraine is planning succeeds. This will be facilitated by the additional assistance that Belgium is providing today,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre De Croo.
Since the Russian invasion last February, Belgium has already sent about 300 million euros worth of military and civilian aid to Ukraine, including this new amount.
Taxes levied by the Belgian state on interest received from Russian financial assets frozen in the country currently amount to 625 million euros, De Croo’s office explained.
From this amount, Brussels intends to withdraw funds both to help the army and the population of Ukraine, and to finance the reception of Ukrainian refugees in Belgium.
Belgium, home to the international depository body Euroclear, is one of the countries in the European Union (EU) with the most Russian assets frozen as part of sanctions imposed on Moscow by the European Community bloc.
The assets of the Central Bank of Russia (cash and bonds/debt securities) are currently frozen in Belgium in the amount of about 180 billion euros, according to the Belgian Prime Minister’s Office.
The European Union is currently exploring legal options for mobilizing frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s reconstruction.
For its part, the United States for the first time this week transferred funds received from the accounts of a Russian oligarch for use in Ukraine.
The military offensive launched by Russia on February 24, 2022 in Ukraine has so far caused the flight of more than 14.7 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.2 million to European countries – from, according to the latest UN data , which classifies this migration crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
At least 18 million Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian assistance, and 9.3 million are in need of food aid and shelter.
The Russian invasion, justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security, was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions on Russia.
The UN has presented as confirmed since the start of the war, which entered its 443rd day this Friday, 8,791 civilians killed and 14,815 wounded, stressing that these numbers are much lower than the real ones.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.