EU’s Kallas: Russia won’t get frozen assets back without paying reparations
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Saturday that Russia cannot expect the return of assets frozen in the EU unless Moscow pays reparations for the war in Ukraine.
“We can’t possibly imagine that...if there is a ceasefire or peace deal, these assets would be given back to Russia if they haven’t paid for the reparations,” Kallas told reporters ahead of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Copenhagen, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Currently, around €210 billion ($245.85 billion) of Russian assets are frozen under EU sanctions imposed after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine, along with some EU countries such as Poland and the Baltic states, has urged that the assets be confiscated to support Kyiv.
However, EU powers including France, Germany, and Belgium—which holds the majority of the frozen funds—have opposed outright confiscation. They have noted that future profits from the assets have been earmarked to reimburse support provided to Ukraine and questioned the legal basis for seizure.
Diplomats say discussions are increasingly focusing on how the funds might be used once the war in Ukraine ends.
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