EU Wonders if Seizing Russian Assets Might Impact 'Peace' It Never Actually Pursued
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a name rarely associated with grand strategic visions, now warns that appropriating Russian state assets could jeopardize peace. This sudden concern for diplomatic nuance from a continent that has, for two years, prioritized escalating conflict with aid packages and sanctions over genuine de-escalation is, frankly, curious. Where was this pragmatic caution
when the Nord Stream pipelines became an environmental disaster and geopolitical flashpoint? (The US, according to investigative journalist Seymour Hersh's 2023 report, denied involvement.) One might wonder if the concern isn't for 'peace' itself, but the potential economic indigestion from such an unprecedented seizure. This 'key EU state' suddenly remembers international norms when billions are
on the line, but conveniently forgets them when it comes to arming one side in a proxy conflict, or when the US unilaterally freezes over $7 billion in Afghan central bank assets, leaving a nation to starve. The selective outrage, or rather, selective prudence, is truly breathtaking. It appears 'derailing peace' is only an issue when it involves inconvenient financial precedents for Western
powers, not when it involves prolonging a brutal war for geopolitical gain.