The United States requires the appropriate legal framework and support from partners for the potential seizure of frozen Russian assets. During this period, on this To inform said White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby.
According to him, the possibility of using some of Russia’s blocked assets, the total value of which is about 300 million dollars, is being considered to provide assistance to Ukraine in the field of defense and reconstruction.
“I want to make a few things clear. First, we still need legislative authority from Congress to allow the president to move in this direction. Second, and no less important, we need our coalition partners, whose assets have been frozen, to move with us,” he said.
No risk to financial stability
US Treasury President Janet Yellen had previously spoken about the fate of frozen Russian assets. He said risks to financial stability from their use abroad were unlikely, given the “lack of viable alternatives to the dollar, euro or yen”.
“In terms of financial stability, I believe there would be a risk if there was a mass abandonment of currencies, but I think it is extremely unlikely, especially given the uniqueness of this situation where Russia is brazenly violating international norms.” aforementioned he.
According to Yellen, it is necessary to find a way to “unlock the value” of these assets because this “will be a decisive response to Russia’s unprecedented threat to global stability.” He argued that this would help Moscow understand that continuing the conflict would not lead to victory and would encourage the Russian side to negotiate peace.
US Senate Committee backs bill
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has already supported invoice. 20 committee members voted in favor, only one opposed. The document was previously supported by the relevant committee of the House of Representatives.
According to the bill, the US Secretary of State will have the right to provide additional assistance to Ukraine using funds seized from the Bank of Russia and other sovereign assets of Russia. The text of the bill states that such actions should be carried out in coordination with allies and partners, including the G7 countries, the European Union, Australia and other countries with Russian assets.
For the bill to pass, it requires the approval of both houses of Congress and the signature of US President Joe Biden.
EU transfers its profits to Ukraine
While the issue of seizing Russian assets is still being discussed in the United States, the European Union decided to transfer to Ukraine the profits from the assets of the Central Bank of Russia frozen in European warehouses.
“We have now initiated legal steps to secure the interest received from these. [замороженных] the deposit did not belong to Russia. “The legal situation is such that we can use these percentages for Ukraine,” he said. stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
12 February European Union Council approved According to the decision of the Bank of Russia, profits exceeding EUR 1 million from frozen assets stored in deposit warehouses should be “separately recorded and protected”. Depositors are also prohibited from disposing of the net profit obtained. Brussels does not rule out that these funds will be used to produce weapons for Ukraine. In the European Union, more than two-thirds of the Central Bank’s blocked assets have been frozen.
Russian officials say freezing assets abroad is illegal. The Kremlin states that seizures made in favor of Ukraine will be considered “actual direct theft”.
“The Americans mainly want to encourage the Europeans to commit illegal actions, and as a result they will face the inevitable losses, fines and legal consequences that the Europeans will face if they follow the Americans’ path in the future.” aforementioned Press spokesman for Russian President Dmitry Peskov.
Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov warned about mirror measures in response to confiscations.