Asked whether the Russian assets should be used to repay the €90 billion loan for Ukraine agreed by leaders so capitals don’t have to foot the bill, Weber said: “That’s my understanding, that finally, at the end, Russia has to pay for what they did in Ukraine.”
In the run-up to the leaders’ summit, the U.S. had pushed European governments to reject the plan to use the Russian assets to fund Ukraine because Washington wanted to use part of those assets to fund U.S.-led reconstruction efforts.
Weber said that option is completely “off the table.”
“The idea from the Americans to use €100 billion for them and use €100 billion for Russia will not fly,” he said.
Weber also defended German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who spearheaded the failed push to approve the Russian assets-backed loan to Ukraine, arguing he “showed leadership” and that the idea was “well appreciated all over Europe.”
“The outcome is that the Russian assets are still on the table,” Weber repeated.
The center-right European People’s Party is the largest EU political family with the largest number of lawmakers in the European Parliament and seats at the European Council table. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and many of her commissioners also hail from the EPP.