Scholz scolded Duda over Ukraine: Financial Times reveals details of their public spat.

Conflicts have arisen between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda. The dispute emerged during discussions about the possibility of utilizing frozen Russian assets amounting to 260 billion euros to support Ukraine. During a recent meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels, Scholz reprimanded Duda.

This was reported by the Financial Times. According to the publication, the meeting took place at the residence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where leading European politicians gathered to discuss further steps to support Kyiv.

The Polish president urged the EU to confiscate Russian assets and allocate the Russian sovereign assets worth 260 billion euros, held in European financial institutions. This idea is supported by the United States and the United Kingdom. In contrast, Germany, France, and Italy opposed this move, warning of risks to the financial stability of Europe.

Scholz's reaction was immediate and quite emotional. He shouted at Duda.

"You do not understand how this will impact the stability of our financial markets. You don’t even use euros!" said Scholz to Duda.

According to several sources from the publication, these words stunned those present. The publication highlighted the differences between Poland and Germany, particularly regarding economic and financial issues.

Frozen Russian Assets as a Potential Tool to Support Ukraine

Following the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Western countries decided to freeze Russia's assets. These primarily include securities and currency deposits held in various international financial institutions. The total volume of frozen assets belonging to the Russian central bank, state entities, and individual sanctioned persons is estimated at around $300 billion. A significant portion of these funds is held in European Union countries.

The process of freezing assets means that these funds officially remain the property of Russia, but Moscow cannot utilize them.

Previously, the G7 countries decided to transfer to Ukraine the interest accrued on these frozen funds. Meanwhile, the assets themselves remain untouched, despite numerous calls from Ukraine and several other countries for their full confiscation to support the Ukrainian economy.

Reuters believes that the EU's decision to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine will improve Trump's position in negotiations with Putin. In the meantime, Russia has arrested Kolomoisky's assets.