Ukraine has renewed its push to confiscate frozen Russian assets and use the funds for its own weapons and war efforts. This new effort is following Donald Trump’s reelection as United States president.
According to a report by the Washington Post on Friday [behind a paywall], citing anonymous officials, Kiev hopes Trump’s business acumen and influence over the European Union could sway opponents of the move toward supporting the seizure of frozen Russian assets. Ukrainian officials “firmly” believe that Trump could persuade skeptical countries to give Russian assets to Ukraine if he sees the move as beneficial for the U.S.
“We firmly believe that it’s President Trump who can be a change maker,” Irina Mudra, deputy head of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s office, told the news outlet. “[Trump] has the power to change the stance of more-skeptical countries… they know he’s not joking, that his are not just hollow words. That’s exactly why we need his help convincing our partners that transferring Russian assets is a necessary tool to finish this war,” she added.
“I told him, take the $300 billion of frozen Russian assets… and we will buy all the weapons from the U.S.… It will be very good for your industry,” Zelensky said, describing the delivery of Russia’s assets as one of Ukraine’s key security guarantees for future peace talks with Moscow.
Zelensky Continues War Efforts, Demanding Russian Frozen Assets
After the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, Western states froze an estimated $300 billion belonging to the Russian central bank held in foreign depositories, a move Russia has branded as theft.
While proceeds from the assets are already being used to back a $50 billion loan for Ukraine from the G7, most Western nations have stopped short of seizing the assets themselves. Opponents of the move, including Belgium, Germany, and France, fear it could set a legal precedent and undermine trust in the Western banking system. –RT
Ukraine is asking for the U.S. to steal from Russia in order for a war against Moscow to be funded. Zelensky’s claim that if he’s given Russian assets, then he’ll “guarantee” future peace talks is audacious, and that audacity of this is not lost on most.
