🕵️‍♂️ Intelligence Wars: SVR Accuses UK of Manipulating EU Over "Trump Factor" and Russian Assets

On the sidelines of the high-stakes EU Summit in Brussels (December 18–19, 2025), the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has launched a sharp rhetorical offensive, accusing the United Kingdom of "geopolitical sabotage."

The Core Allegations:

• The "Trump Smokescreen": The SVR claims that London is feeding false intelligence to EU leaders, suggesting that the incoming Trump administration intends to reach a "financial compromise" with Moscow that would return frozen assets. According to the SVR, the UK is using this narrative to frighten Brussels into seizing the assets now, before Washington can negotiate.

• Legal Engineering: To bypass the legal hurdles of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU), London is reportedly pushing the European Commission to use "emergency loopholes." This would allow the EU to use the €210 billion in frozen assets at Euroclear as collateral for a massive "Repair Loan" (Prêt de réparation) for Ukraine.

• Ignoring the Dissent: The intelligence report highlights that major concerns from Belgium (worried about financial stability), Hungary, and Slovakia are being sidelined as the UK and the European Commission push for a "Qualified Majority" vote rather than a unanimous decision.

Context: This move by the SVR appears designed to exacerbate existing tensions within the EU, specifically targeting the rift between "hawks" (like the UK and Poland) and "cautious" states (like Belgium and Italy) as the summit draws to a close tomorrow.