German Opposition Leader Pushes EU on Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz is in Brussels for high-level talks on using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) chairman will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Thursday. The discussions focus on a major EU proposal. The plan aims to use profits generated from immobilized Russian central bank assets, most of which are held in Belgium, to fund military aid for Ukraine. The European Union and its allies froze approximately $300 billion in Russian state assets following the 2022 invasion. Finding a legal way to use these funds for Ukraine’s defense has become a top priority for Western leaders. Merz's visit underscores cross-party support in Germany for bolstering Ukraine. As the head of Germany's largest opposition party, his advocacy adds political weight to the EU's efforts to finalize the complex financial mechanism.