Frozen Russian Assets: Public Opinion in Belgium and Sweden
Client: Bill Browder, Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign
About this research
This research examines public opinion in Belgium and Sweden regarding the frozen Russian assets currently held in the EU—the majority of which are located in Belgium. It also explores public perspectives on the war in Ukraine, including accountability for the conflict and whether Russia should be held financially liable for damages.
While the primary focus of this study is the Belgian population, the Swedish population was polled on the same topics for comparative reference. The research was conducted in January 2026; details regarding data collection can be found below.
The following results and commentary focus primarily on the Belgian findings.
Summary
If Belgium is forced to stand alone with the risk of releasing the funds, only 5% of the population supports it. However, if the EU shares that risk, support becomes significantly stronger, with an additional 43% believing the funds should be used to support Ukraine. This brings the total to 48% in favour and 48% against.
The research suggests that stronger messaging from the EU regarding support for Belgium would likely be the tipping point for the public. Since 82% of Belgians believe Russia should pay for the damages caused, and 75% hold Russia responsible for the war, it is clear that guaranteed EU backing would push the majority to support releasing the assets.
For reference, the Swedish population is firmly behind releasing the funds: 71% are in favour, 94% hold Russia responsible for the war, and 93% believe Russia must pay for the damages.
Torbjörn Sjöström
Gallup Nordic
Results
Who is responsible for the war in Ukraine?
| Belgium | Sweden | |
| Russia | 75 % | 94 % |
| Ukraine | 4 % | 1 % |
| The United States | 2 % | 1 % |
| NATO | 7 % | 1 % |
| Other | 6 % | 1 % |
| Don’t know/Refuse to answer | 5 % | 2 % |
An overwhelming majority of Belgians (75%) hold Russia responsible for the war in Ukraine. In contrast, only a small fraction blame other actors, such as NATO (7%), Ukraine (4%), or the USA (2%). Consequently, there is a clear consensus among the Belgian public that Russia bears the primary responsibility for the conflict.
Do you think Russia should pay for the damages it has inflicted on Ukraine during the war?
| Belgium | Sweden | |
| Yes | 82 % | 93 % |
| No | 11 % | 2 % |
| Don’t know/Refuse to answer | 7 % | 5 % |
While 75% of Belgians hold Russia responsible for the war, an even higher proportion—82%—believe Russia should pay for the damages caused in Ukraine. This discrepancy suggests that even among those who may be undecided on the war’s origins, there is a strong conviction regarding financial liability. This is likely reinforced by the fact that the conflict is fought almost entirely on Ukrainian soil. Should the war have taken place on both Russian and Ukrainian territory, public opinion regarding one-sided reparations would likely be more divided.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU froze about €210 billion in Russian central bank assets. Do you think the EU should use this money to finance Ukraine’s defense against Russia during the war?
| Should EU use the money to finance Ukraine? | Belgium | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 5% | 50% |
| Yes, if EU shares risk | 43% | 21% |
| No | 48% | 9% |
| Don’t know / Refuse to answer | 5% | 20% |
| Netto: Yes (Total Support) | 48% | 71% |
The pressure on Belgium is clearly visible, only 5 % of the Belgians want to use the Russian frozen fund if it is not backed by a broader EU support. However, should the EU share the risk with Belgium almost half the population think the assets should be used. 5 % don’t know what to answer.
In contrast, in Sweden there is a clear majority behind using the frozen funds to finance Ukraine, 50 % support that unconditionally, additionally 21 % support the use of the funds if EU shares the risk with Belgium.
Torbjörn Sjöström
Gallup Nordic
Contact: torbjorn.sjostrom@gallupnordic.com
Data collection period:
Belgium: 2026-01-13 to 2026-01-16
Sweden: 2026-01-08 to 2026-01-14
Number of interviews:
Belgium: 1132
Sweden: 1014
Data collection partners
Belgium: Cluster 17
http://www.cluster17.com
Sweden: Novus
http://www.novus.se
Languages used in the research
In Belgium the questions were asked in both Dutch and French
In Sweden Swedish
The questions and answers translated to English for this report
About the panels used:
Cluster 17 own panel, non open access, representative samples, built using quotas and post-stratification weighting (age, gender, education, region, etc.), allowing for robust population-level estimations in the age group 18 and up
Novus own probability based internet panel, giving a reliable population representative estimation of the populations opinion on the researched topic, in the age 18-84.