The United States of America refused to support the European Union's plan to expand the use of frozen assets of the aggressor country russia to support Ukraine.
Bloomberg reported this with reference to its own sources.
The agency's interlocutors said that American officials had informed their European counterparts that Washington would not join the initiative at this time.
One of the Bloomberg sources said the US cited risks to market stability as a reason for its reluctance. Another added that at this stage, Washington simply does not want to make any commitments.
The agency notes that the US move is a setback for the European Union, which has been trying to convince other G7 members to join its plan to use russia's frozen assets as collateral to secure loans of up to EUR 140 billion for Ukraine.
The US refusal coincides with new efforts by the White House to end the fighting in Ukraine. The day before, US leader Donald Trump met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and is set to meet with russian dictator vladimir putin soon.
Washington's indecision - and its concerns about market stability - are likely to embolden skeptics in the EU, including in Belgium, where most of the assets are held. The Belgians have warned that any prolonged use of these assets could trigger lawsuits that would expose governments to huge liability and destabilize confidence in the European financial system.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on October 1, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke out against the confiscation of frozen russian assets, as it would violate international law.
Recall that in August, the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas said that russia should not be returned its frozen assets until it pays reparations to Ukraine.
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