2025-10-21 | Silicon Wafers 037 | Trump Stop Europe’s €140bn Lifeline to Ukraine?Europe thinks it’s found a legal-financial hack to turn Russia’s frozen billions into a €140 billion, interest-free “reparations loan” for Ukraine. And just as leaders line up to back it, reports say the Trump White House is balking — raising “market stability” fears and casting doubt on G7 unity. What’s the plan, what’s the pushback, and can Washington block Brussels? And of course, the big question, I why Trump would do this, when the plan would have a significant impact on Ukraine’s resilience, potentially turning the tide of the war. The plan, plain and simple. Here’s the elevator pitch. The EU doesn’t confiscate Russia’s immobilized central-bank assets. Instead, it uses the cash stuck at Euroclear in Belgium (as Russian securities matured) to buy zero-coupon Commission bonds, and on that basis extend a €140 billion, 0% loan to Ukraine — repayable only when Russia pays reparations. It’s ingenious and gets around many of the concerns that timid lawyer types had about simply handing the money over to Ukraine. A senior EU official framed the core legal line this way: “What we are proposing is not confiscation.” (The Guardian, Oct 20, 2025). Belgium still wants rock-solid guarantees that it won’t stand alone if lawsuits hit Euroclear. (The Guardian)----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine’s beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/20/european-leaders-near-deal-to-use-frozen-russian-assets-for-ukraineReuters - https://www.reuters.com/business/ukraine-could-use-reparations-loan-buy-weapons-outside-europe-document-shows-2025-10-17/Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/world/merz-advocate-use-frozen-russian-assets-eu-summit-2025-10-16/Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/world/us-supportive-new-imf-programme-eu-loan-ukraine-dombrovskis-says-2025-10-17/Reuters explainer: “How will the West use Russia’s frozen assets?”** (Oct 6, 2025)Reuters: EU will seek to exclude Ukraine loan guarantees from deficit calculations (Oct 10, 2025)----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------