EU-US Influence, Ukraine Peace Talks, and Frozen Russian Assets: Ongoing Developments
Ursula von der Leyen expressed concerns that US influence over EU elections threatens voter sovereignty and stated such interference should not be tolerated. She made these remarks at a Politico event held in Brussels.
Discussions regarding Ukraine peace talks are ongoing. Former US President Donald Trump and his spokesperson Karoline Leavitt indicated that the US would only participate in such talks if they were deemed worthwhile. A summit in Berlin is scheduled for Monday to further deliberate on Ukraine negotiations.
Separately, a permanent freeze on frozen Russian assets is set to take effect today at 5pm. However, Hungary opposes this freeze while Belgium opposes using these assets for a Ukraine reparations loan. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticized the permanent freeze. Belgium's Bart de Wever is currently in London engaging in talks about security, migration, and the frozen assets. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer, as co-chair of the Coalition of the Willing, may advocate for leveraging these assets.
