The European Union may announce a decision on the confiscation of frozen Russian assets within two weeks. This is reported by UNN with reference to The Times.
Details
An agreement to unfreeze Russian assets in Europe worth up to £100 billion (over $130 billion USD - ed.) to provide assistance to Ukraine will be concluded in the coming days. This is according to the head of the UK government, Keir Starmer, following a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
After this, senior government sources in Britain expressed optimism that a deal is close and will be announced either this week or next. These funds include about £8 billion (over $10 billion USD - ed.) held in bank accounts in the United Kingdom.
The funding is seen as an important leverage for Europeans and Ukraine in the peace talks proposed by US President Donald Trump. It is intended to provide a reliable source of funding for Ukraine's military actions over the next two years, increasing pressure on Moscow at a time when European leaders are concerned that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is gaining victories.
These funds, which have been frozen since the beginning of the conflict, are also seen as one of the few "cards" that Europeans have in peace negotiations to prevent any agreement that would effectively be imposed on Ukraine by Washington and Moscow.
However, the agreement is still being delayed by Belgium, where the vast majority of European assets are held. The country's government opposes transferring funds to Ukraine due to fears that it could be held legally liable for an amount equal to one-third of its annual GDP.
Recall
The Group of Seven (G7) countries are ready to consider confiscating all frozen Russian funds to help achieve a just peace in Ukraine.
At the same time, Japan rejected the EU's proposal to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine.