The government has said half of the aid, worth a total of 92 million euros, will be in the form of armored vehicles, weapons and ammunition, and that the first deliveries should arrive “very quickly”.
As for the other half, it will be allocated to the population and civilians in the form of humanitarian aid, which will be distributed in the major cities in coordination with the United Nations, and with the aim of “strengthening” the Belgian diplomatic presence in the region through the creation of two diplomatic centers for Brussels in Moldova and Armenia.
Belgian Foreign Minister Hajja Lahbib stressed the importance of “accompanying and protecting” the growing number of Ukrainians seeking refuge in neighboring Moldova.
Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo said: “For the war to end, the counter-offensive that Ukraine is planning must succeed. The additional support that Belgium is providing today will contribute to this.”
Since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February 2022, Belgium has provided Ukraine with aid to Ukraine in the military and civilian fields amounting to around 300 million euros, including those announced on Friday .
The prime minister’s office told AFP that to date, taxes on interest from Russian assets frozen in Brussels amounted to 625 million euros. Belgium intends to take advantage of this to support Ukraine in the military and civilian fields, and to welcome Ukrainian refugees on its territory.
Belgium is one of the most important countries in the European Union in terms of the amount of Russian assets frozen as a result of sanctions imposed following the war in Ukraine.
According to the Prime Minister’s office, the value of assets frozen in Belgium belonging to the Russian Central Bank amounts to 180 billion euros.
The European Union is studying the legal means that could allow the use of frozen Russian assets to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine.
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