Brussels bosses launched epic overtime talks Thursday, battling to unlock €90 billion ($105B) for Ukraine’s 2026-27 military and budget black hole—via a savvy loan from €210B in sanctioned Russian assets (Belgium hoards €185B), repayable only if Moscow foots war reparations, pitting Belgian PM Bart De Wever retaliation fears against bloc survival math.
Needing 15 nations (65% population) to steamroll Belgium’s demands for bulletproof guarantees shielding Euro firms from Kremlin expropriations, Zelensky gates crashing as guest while leaders juggle Mercosur free trade (Brazil/Argentina/Uruguay/Paraguay), Balkan accession nudges, 2028-34 budget blueprint and trade war tremors—talks dragging to Friday as unity frays.
This high-stakes gamble echoes post-2022 aid marathons where EU scraped €50B+ packages amid donor fatigue, but frozen assets flip the script: weaponizing Putin’s war chest could sustain Kiev’s fight, lure U.S. matching funds under Trump, and deter future aggressors—if legal landmines and Belgian blockade don’t torpedo the deal first.
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