On October 10, local time, EU finance ministers met in Luxembourg, one of the main issues is how to further use Russian frozen assets, but the parties are deeply divided on this issue.
Austria is one of four member states in the European Union that maintains military neutrality. Austria's finance minister said Russia's frozen assets cannot be directly used to purchase weapons.
The European Commission has proposed a plan to use Russia's frozen assets to lend 140 billion euros to Ukraine. According to European media reports, Ukraine needs to repay the loan only after receiving compensation from Russia.
Austria is not the only country with reservations on the scheme. Belgium hopes the EU will clarify the financial risks of the move and the possible future sharing of responsibilities to ensure that Belgium does not have to bear responsibility alone.