Merz says frozen Russian assets must stay in Europe amid reported US proposal
European officials rejected a U.S. plan to shift some frozen Russian assets into a Washington-run vehicle, as €260 billion remains immobilized.
- On Wednesday, The United States proposed transferring a portion of approximately €260 billion in frozen Russian assets to a Washington-managed financial vehicle to help restart peace negotiations in Ukraine.
- Western allies froze the assets in 2022 following President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, with most funds currently held within the European Union.
- During meetings in Miami last week, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner presented the plan, but four people briefed on the discussions confirmed European delegates rejected the proposal.
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated Moscow would "make every possible effort to achieve the return of stolen assets," indicating potential for future legal proceedings.
- Last month, Witkoff reported "substantive progress" toward peace, including a "no-shoot policy," though President Donald Trump's recent energy ceasefire claim contradicted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's reports of ongoing strikes.
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107 Articles
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not want to share confiscated assets from Russia with the US. At the same time, he promotes further or even stronger support for Ukraine. But not everyone in Europe thinks so.
U.S. Asks Europe To Unfreeze Russian Assets And Hand Them To A Washington-Controlled Fund; Europe Says No
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner asked European officials in Miami to unfreeze part of roughly 260 billion euros in Russian central bank assets and move it into a vehicle overseen by Washington. Europeans rejected it.
Merz says frozen Russian assets must stay in Europe amid reported US proposal
Billions of euros' worth of Russian assets frozen in Europe after the invasion of Ukraine should stay under the region's control, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday, after a report that the United States may seek supervision over some.
According to a report, the US has proposed to the Europeans to release Russian assets. Federal Chancellor Merz gives a clear rejection to the request before the start of the EU summit.
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