Europe still lacks unity on the seizure of Russian assets, according to Tusk.

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated after the summit in London that Europe still lacks unity regarding the confiscation of Russian assets in the West. Some countries are concerned about the consequences of such a decision.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing The Guardian.

Tusk mentioned that even though all leaders agreed that seizing Russian assets is a good idea, some countries "fear the repercussions for the euro or the banking system."

"Poland is very adamant about this, but let's be honest, since we are not in the eurozone, our voice in this discussion will not be decisive," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of extending EU sanctions against Russia after their expiration, despite Hungary's threat to veto.

Negotiations with Russia

Tusk also spoke about the need to propose a format that includes Europe, Turkey, and Canada to draft a negotiation plan with Russia.

"We all currently feel that no one has a plan regarding this matter. This sense of chaos and a temporary approach sometimes evokes emotions, as we saw during that disgraceful spectacle in Washington a few days ago, which we all would like to avoid," he said.

He added that leaders need to "calmly propose a common systemic position" for shaping future negotiations on behalf of the allied countries.

Tusk noted that he hopes European unity will impress U.S. President Donald Trump and help him be more receptive to some of Ukraine's requests.

He also mentioned that the leaders did not discuss security guarantees for Ukraine at the summit and once again warned that any such declaration must have a strict binding nature to avoid creating a "false sense of security."

Speaking about the European Council summit next week, he said he views it with cautious optimism, as it will "send a very clear signal that will show Putin and Russia that no one here in the West intends to succumb to his blackmail and aggression."

Additionally, Tusk dismissed any suggestions of a rift between Europe and the U.S., assuring that Europe cannot allow this to happen.

Frozen Russian Assets

It is worth noting that following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western countries froze the aggressor state's assets. In total, these assets amount to around $300 billion, primarily consisting of European, American, and British government bonds held in European securities depositories.

According to Politico, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain oppose the confiscation in favor of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Baltic states and Northern European countries believe that the funds should be immediately transferred to Ukraine. Reuters reports that Russia may agree to transfer part of its assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine.