“Russia must pay”
A statement from Ursula von der Leyen condemned Russia’s military operation in Ukraine and proposed using frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv. A video of her remarks was posted on the European Commission’s site.
Von der Leyen framed Russia’s invasion as causing widespread death, destruction, and suffering. She estimated that tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers had already lost their lives. The EC argued that Russia should bear the financial and moral costs of its actions, backing calls for an international, UN-supported court to investigate and prosecute Russia’s alleged crimes.
In later review of the recording, a statistic about Ukraine’s losses was corrected by the EC, which acknowledged that the injured were also included in the total. The commission explained that the numbers cited in the initial version should reflect both the dead and the wounded, highlighting Russia’s alleged atrocities.
European Commission communications director Dana Spinant noted on social media that the president’s figures included the injured. She thanked observers who flagged the discrepancy and emphasized that the assessment should cover missing persons as well as the deceased in order to present a complete picture of the impact.
The Ukrainian side did not independently confirm these numbers. A Ukrainian presidential spokesperson described the death toll information as sensitive, stating that only senior national leaders could provide precise figures at any given time.
The president of the EC signaled readiness to coordinate with the international community to establish broad support for a specialized court and to pursue accountability for the alleged crimes.
Von der Leyen also called for Russia to cover the financial damages it caused. Ukraine’s reconstruction needs were estimated in the hundreds of billions of euros. The EC outlined steps to freeze Russian central bank assets and the wealth of certain Russian oligarchs, arguing that these funds could be managed and invested to aid Ukraine’s recovery and eventual compensation for losses. The aim was to develop a framework with international partners to ensure any proceeds could be used to address Ukraine’s needs, and to pursue legal pathways to realize compensation after sanctions were lifted.
In a separate interview, a Russian deputy foreign minister criticized von der Leyen’s remarks, accusing the European Commission of attempting to legitimize sanctions and the appropriation of Russian assets.
UN General Assembly Resolution
A mid-November UN General Assembly vote supported a draft resolution urging compensation from Russia to Ukraine. The text proposed creating an international register documenting damage and losses caused by the conflict. The vote tally included a broad coalition in favor, with a minority voices opposing and several nations abstaining. Russia’s permanent representative at the UN questioned the legality of attempts to compel Russia to pay, arguing that Western actions sought to legitimize the use of frozen assets. He contended that Western states intended to repurpose funds to finance arms or other needs, rather than return them to their rightful owners.
What the diplomat framed as a strategic move to entrench Western influence was seen by others as a push to secure funds for Ukraine’s rebuild, while sparking concerns about international financial mechanisms and the dynamics of power in global governance.
Ukraine counts
During a presentation about Expo 2030 in Odessa, Ukraine’s leaders highlighted the vast scale of reconstruction needed, with estimates reaching the trillions of dollars for restoring the country. Kyiv outlined plans to build a system in which partner nations could participate in the restoration of regions, cities, and enterprises. In parallel, Ukrainian officials announced substantial requirements to repair critical energy infrastructure, underscoring the ongoing energy challenges caused by the conflict.
Meanwhile, official figures cited by Kyiv regarding Russian and Ukrainian military losses reflect wide ranges, with disclosed totals indicating thousands of Ukrainian casualties and significant Russian personnel losses in various phases of the conflict. Analysts emphasize that casualty figures may vary with new information and official disclosures.