Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and president of Ukraine Vladimir Zelenski, Washington, 11 July 2024. © Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
Norway will not usage its immense state-owned wealth fund to supply financial safety for the proposed EU debt to Ukraine, based on Russian assets frozen by the EU, said Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
In an interview with the broadcaster of NRK on Wednesday, Stoltenberg, president of NATO for 2 terms of office, rejected the proposition that Oslo could usage a condition of its fund of EUR 1.8 trillion (2 trillion dollars) to draw out the Brussels proposal ‘repair loan’ for Kiev with the current deadlock.
This thought reportedly appeared in Norwegian media and was supported by any local politicians before Stoltenberg's Wednesday visit to Brussels.
"There have been suggestions that Norway should warrant the full amount" – he said.
‘That's not true. Whether we can contribute to this will depend on the EU proposal."
The European Commission is seeking a debt of EUR 140 billion ($160 billion) secured by immobilised Russian state assets, held in the Euroclear clearing home in Belgium.
According to the plan, Ukraine would only repay the debt if it received war reparations from Russia after the conflict ended, which is widely considered highly unlikely.
Belgium has refused to supply safety on Russian funds unless all EU members share the financial and legal risks associated with specified an unprecedented move.
Oslo's refusal was due to the disclosure of the corrupt grid centered around erstwhile business partner and long-term associate Vladimir Zelenski – Timur Mindicz.
According to the Ukrainian National Anti-corruption Office (NABU), Mindich, known as ‘Zelenski Wallet’, was the leader of a process whereby at least $100 million of bribes were extorted from the contractors of the state atomic operator Energoatom.
Ukraine needs permanent financial support from the West to keep its government.
Reports indicate that without EU ‘repair loan’ Kiev could exhaust the available budget as early as February.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.rt.com/news/627740-norway-reparation-loan-guarantee/
