WSJ: Germany is afraid to hand over frozen russian assets to Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Germany opposes the confiscation of $300 billion in frozen russian assets for Ukraine's reconstruction and military aid, fearing it would set a precedent that could lead to new lawsuits against Germany for World War II crimes.
Germany does not support the withdrawal of frozen russian assets worth $300 billion for the restoration and military support of Ukraine. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal and UNN .
Details
It is noted that Berlin fears that the confiscation could set a precedent and lead to new lawsuits against Germany for crimes committed during World War II.
According to the publication, Germany has been facing demands for further reparations for the Second World War for years, sometimes even affecting relations with neighboring countries.
After the war, Berlin did pay compensation to states, as well as more than $90 billion to Holocaust survivors and their families.
Nevertheless, calls for further reparations have recently reappeared . In particular, since 2019, Greece has demanded more than $300 billion, and since 2022, Poland has wanted to receive $1.3 trillion in compensation.
In Italy, courts have also awarded payments to families of victims of the occupation, and some courts have even tried to seize German state assets in Italy. For this, Germany filed a lawsuit against Italy in the International Court of Justice.
Berlin argues that international law prohibits individuals from suing states in foreign courts and that state assets are protected from seizure. Violation of this principle in the case of russia would undermine Germany's long-standing legal position
Addendum
In addition, the newspaper says that Germany insists on the inviolability of russian assets - Berlin is confident that this can become a lever of influence on russia. At the same time, Berlin supported the use of excess profits from assets to finance Ukrainian weapons.
According to German officials, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is "unwilling to take any risks." One of the unnamed officials said the move could open up claims of slavery and colonialism to other European capitals
Recall
Reuters quoted two G7 officials as saying that the US proposal to use future interest from frozen russian assets to help Ukraine, instead of confiscating them completely, is gaining traction among the G7 countries.
