The EU is considering the use of frozen Russian assets for a loan of EUR 140 billion for Ukraine. However, the proposal must be in accordance with international law.
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday called for the use of frozen Russian assets to finance a loan of EUR 140 billion for Ukraine. At the same time, the EC chief stressed that Russian property will not be confiscated. French President Emmanuel Macron recalled that the proposal must be in accordance with the principles of international law. Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever is the same attitude. According to DPA and Reuters, TASR reports this.
“We are not going to confiscate property,” said von der Leyen after arriving at the EU summit in Copenhagen, where she will negotiate with the leaders of the Member States. “Ukraine has to repay this loan if Russia pays reparations,” she said.
According to her, there is an increasing consensus among the EU leaders that “only European taxpayers should not pay for the support of Ukraine, but that it must be responsible for Russia.”
Legal risks need to be resolved first
According to Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, the proposal should be carefully considered and the legal and financial risks that result from him must be resolved.
The European Commission plan was supported by the head of the Swedish government Ulf Kristersson. “I’m definitely unacceptable that all these frozen assets are considered Russian capital without the possibility of their use in favor of Ukraine,” he said.
“The basic principle of international law is that you have to pay the damage you have caused,” said Kaja Kallas, head of EU diplomacy. In connection with the concerns of some Member States, she stated that if someone does not start a war, it would not be at risk. “I believe that most countries, most people, most companies do not start wars against other states,” she said.
