EU and Ukrainian flags fly in front of the European Commission headquarters to the third anniversary of the massive Russian invasion of Ukraine in Brussels, Belgium on February 24, 2025.
Thierry Monasse | Getty Images News | Getty Images
President Donald Trump returns to the White House, completely changing U.S. support for Ukraine, prompting European countries to consider new options to strengthen military support for Kiev.
Last month, the US President Accuse Ukraine of starting a war,,,,, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is called dictator – Even though Ukraine has been blocked from elections during wartime since the Russian invasion in 2022 and has begun unilateral negotiations with Russia in Saudi Arabia, this frustrates Ukrainian and European officials Who doesn’t include.
Tensions last week Explosive TV clash In the Oval Office between Trump, U.S. Vice Presidents JD Vance and Zelenskyy. It is reported that while assessing the situation, the United States has stopped its military support for Ukraine.
European leaders are Get together in Ukraine With our support. One of the mechanisms in Europe to make up for the shortage of support in the United States is Completely grasping frozen Russian assets It is held in the area.
What are Russia’s assets? Where are they?
What can these assets be used?
There has been a lot of debate over whether these assets can be used to support Ukraine during the war. June 2024, G7 agrees to issue a $50 billion loan in principle Profits generated by frozen Russian assets were provided to Ukraine.
Since then, European member states no longer have fully seized such assets due to concerns about legal and economic impacts.
Recent escalation of tensions between the EU and the United States has led the EU to explore more aggressive actions, Bloomberg Report. Bloomberg reported that the idea would be a yet-established international claim committee demanding reparations from Russia, and if they disagree, they seized them completely.
Who is in Europe to support and oppose the use of these assets to help Ukraine?
Several EU figures suggest support for all seizures, including foreign policy chiefs Kaja Kallas and economic specialist Valdis Dombrovskis.
At the EU Foreign Commission meeting at the end of February Karas says This work to reach an asset seizure agreement is “continued”, “ultimately, especially in the situation we are in, we all concluded that our taxpayers should not be those who pay for it. It should come from a country that undermines Ukraine, which is Russia.”
Also at the end of last month, British Foreign Minister David Lammy told the British Parliament “Europe must act quickly and I believe we should move from frozen assets to seizing assets.” Estonia and Poland It also expressed support for grasping assets.
exist statement Estonian Foreign Minister published earlier this week after reporting on the withdrawal of U.S. military aid, he pushed Europe to step up efforts: “Authorize that there is no legal way to use Russian frozen assets. Last week, I shared a paper with my European partners that I provided a clear solution in May’s extension with the use of frozen range in June.
“Many Central Europeans also sympathize with cases of epilepsy seizures, although they are reluctant to say it publicly without a common EU position,” Nigel Gould-Davies, senior researcher at the Institute of International Strategic Research (IISS).
However, there are several states that are worrying, and he specifically points out that Germany and France are “mainly held”.
It may be changing now, Both countries open for discussion through the UK FT report Asset seizures.
How will these assets be seized?
In theory, all 27 EU member states could unanimously agree to seize Russia’s assets and “demand Belgium to confiscate assets.”
Another option is if EU sanctions expire without renewal, Belgium will have assets separately. However, it seems unlikely that Belgium will do so, because It is said that Warn of the legal and economic risks posed by asset seizures to the euro zone.
Steinbach also commented that European seizing Russian assets is “morally attractive but legally difficult” because Europe is limited to countering Russian violations of international law, which requires “temporary” and “reversible” under international law.
“At the same time, Ukraine’s losses to Russia compensated Russia for its damages.
He mentioned a “creative proposal” in which Ukraine transferred its claim against Russia to the G7 Seven, and then enforced the Kieff’s claim by “starting” against Russian assets. Steinbach pointed out that “this transfer has never happened before under international law” and the issue of immune protection of sovereign assets continues.
iiss’Gould-Davies noted Extensive research on international lawyers To prove that “there is a safe legal avenue”, fear of economic impact is exaggerated.
“When assets are first frozen (the moment Russia loses contact) there is no adverse effect on the economic or financial stability of Europe. There is no reason to think that if Russia permanently and formally loses these assets, the market or individual creditor states will take action.”
What will happen now?
By ending the war negotiations and there is no clarity on the potential outcome yet, Europe is still considering whether the capture of Russian assets to help Ukraine’s assets allow for additional weapons or whether those funds can help rebuild the country.
As part of its discussion with the United States, Russia will require assets to not raise and return to help boost its economy, said David Roche, a senior investor and strategist at Quantum Strategy.
“There is no doubt Putin will want (they) back,” he told CNBC on February 26. He added that Putin will seek a deal with Trump, who may put pressure on Europe to breeding assets stored on European land.
Russia has also expressed it before If their assets are seized, retaliation will be carried out.
Gould-Davies asked, withdrawing U.S. support and Europe’s desperate need to strengthen defense spending “make Russia’s assets seized even rational and urgent”, asking, “Why not make money from the invaders?”
