Why Franco-German relations are strained right now
At an EU summit in Brussels, European leaders were discussing the possiblity of using frozen Russian assets in Europe to purchase weapons for Ukraine. One plans calls for 90% of the seized cash to be channelled through the European Peace Facility to buy arms for Ukraine. 190 billion euros of Russian central bank securities and cash are held at financial services provider Euroclear in Belgium. With US military aid for Ukraine no longer a guarantee, the pressure on Europe to produce or buy and then send more weapons has never been greater. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he’s confident Europe will deliver.