<div class="" data-article-body="true"><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is seeking a solution with Belgium on the issue of the provision of Russian funds to support Ukraine.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">On Thursday, Merz said that he was taking the Belgian government's concerns seriously. "The points are important and we need to talk about them and I will try to resolve them."</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Earlier, a government spokesman in Berlin announced that Merz had postponed an upcoming trip to Norway to be able to travel to Belgium for a meeting with Prime Minister Bart de Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">European Union leaders must adopt a common position and, in particular, reach an agreement with Belgium, Merz said.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">The talks over dinner in Brussels on Friday are likely to focus on the European Commission's proposal for using Russian assets frozen in the European Union to support Ukraine.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Merz said: "I don't want to persuade him. I want to convince him that the path we are proposing here is the right one. And if we take this path, then we will take it in order to help Ukraine."</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">The Russian central bank assets managed by the Belgian financial institution Euroclear are estimated at around €185 billion ($215.6 billion).</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">The Belgian government has repeatedly called for the involvement of other EU states in order to minimize the risk of Belgium becoming the sole target of possible retaliatory measures.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Merz said that Germany would be one of the possible "guarantor states" for safeguarding the assets in the Belgian capital.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">According to EU officials, the commission is looking to unlock Russian funds frozen in Belgium, Germany and other member states to provide Kiev with a loan for reparations of up to €210 billion ($245 billion).</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">De Wever emphasized once again Thursday evening in parliament that Belgium would "not burden [itself] with irresponsible risks."</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Merz was originally due to travel to Oslo on Friday where he was to be hosted by King Harald V and Crown Prince Haakon in the Royal Palace in Oslo.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">The German leader was also scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.</p><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks at the press conference during his official inaugural visit to Berlin. Michael Kappeler/dpa" loading="lazy" width="800" height="538" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/1quNYAPbSbLnwDTy.Uhr4g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0NjtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/dpa_international_526/c8ca7fe8187b3af293e6d90f71a20a93"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks at the press conference during his official inaugural visit to Berlin. Michael Kappeler/dpa</div></figcaption></figure></div>

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is seeking a solution with Belgium on the issue of the provision of Russian funds to support Ukraine. On Thursday, Merz said that he was taking the Belgian government's concerns seriously.

Merz postpones Norway trip for Belgium talks on frozen Russian assets

Al-Majd’s operation to evacuate Palestinians from Gaza has sparked controversy, with claims of human trafficking and ties to a questionable Estonian-Israeli businessman. Al-Majd, the organization behind the mysterious evacuation of 153 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa, is seemingly led by an Estonian-Israeli man based in London, raising questions over whether it may be an Israeli shell company.

Who is behind Al-Majd, the Israeli-linked evacuation group sending Gazans to South Africa?

As natural worries keep on developing, the interest for practical home redesign administrations has fundamentally expanded. In 2024, mortgage holders are


5 Great Home Remodel Administrations With Green Arrangements In 2024


Even when information is factually accurate, how it’s presented can introduce subtle biases. As large language models increasingly bring people the news, this bias is a looming problem.

People are getting their news from AI – and it’s altering their views

A scientist in Japan has developed a technique that uses brain scans and artificial intelligence to turn a person’s mental images into descriptive sentences.

Scientist turns people’s mental images into text using ‘mind-captioning’ technology

Oxygen tank strapped to his back, Michael del Rosario moves his fins delicately as he glides along an underwater nursery just off the Dominican Republic coast, proudly showing off the “coral babies” growing on metal structures that look like large spiders.  The conservationist enthusiastically points a finger to trace around the largest corals, just starting to reveal their vibrant colors.  Del Rosario helped plant these tiny animals in the nursery after they were conceived in an assisted reprod

As reefs vanish, assisted coral fertilization offers hope in the Dominican Republic

The waxing gibbous moon will appear close to Saturn in the southeastern sky at sunset on Nov. 29 as Neptune lurks unseen nearby.

Saturn shines with the waxing moon at sunset on Nov. 29

In a surprising turn of events, Malaysia’s transport ministry has decided to resume its search for the missing MH370 flight, more than ten years after the aircraft vanished without leaving a viable explanation. Authorities from the Southeast Asian country confirmed in an official statement that the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft will commence […] The post Malaysia To Revive Search for Missing Flight MH370 appeared first on Mandatory.

Malaysia To Revive Search for Missing Flight MH370

Some experts say red meat and full-fat dairy can be high in saturated fats.

RFK Jr.'s diet guidelines emphasize red meat, full-fat dairy. How healthy are they?

Oszkár Nagyapáti climbed to the bottom of a sandy pit on his land on the Great Hungarian Plain and dug into the soil with his hand, looking for a sign of groundwater that in recent years has been in accelerating retreat.  Nagyapáti has watched with distress as the region in southern Hungary, once an important site for agriculture, has become increasingly parched and dry.  In a 2017 paper in European Countryside, a scientific journal, researchers cited “the combined effect of climatic changes, im

Hungary's 'water guardian' farmers fight back against desertification

Each parent fantasies about giving their youngsters a prosperous life. They work enthusiastically to aggregate resources that can be


Getting Your Youngsters' Future: Grasping Legacy Regulations


Shift differentials assume an essential part in the nursing calling, frequently having a huge effect in a medical caretaker's general compensation.


Figure out What Shift Differentials Mean for Your General Attendant Compensation


Spencer Pratt has used social media to speak out against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other California politicians.

Reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who lost his home in Palisades Fire, is running for mayor of Los Angeles

Elaine Hendrix, Alix Earle, Dylan Efron, Jordan Chiles and Robert Irwin will all be taking the stage for their final dances of the season.

'Dancing With the Stars' Season 34 finale: Who might win the mirror ball trophy? Where do the remaining contestants rank?

CBS News is tracking a record number of measles cases around the country after an outbreak in West Texas that led to the deaths of two children.