New EU chief diplomat says all Russian assets frozen in EU should be used to aid Ukraine
Pravda Ukraine
Kaja Kallas, the new High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, believes that billions of Russian state-owned funds frozen in the EU should be used to help Ukraine.
Source: Kallas in an interview with the Guardian, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Kallas affirmed Ukraine’s rightful claims for compensation, emphasising that Russian assets within the EU serve as “a tool to pressure Russia”.
Despite acknowledging certain “sensitivities,” she expressed confidence that “we will get there one day”. Kallas proposed using Russian funds to cover the cost of “all the damage that Russia has caused to Ukraine”.
“Better to have a small bird in your hand than a big bird on the roof. So we have the small bird in our hand [the frozen assets] and this is the tool to also pressure Russia,” the new EU chief diplomat stressed.
Kallas also emphasised that Europe must increase its support for Ukraine should the United States halt its funding. She underscored that financial assistance to Ukraine “is not charity” but is in the interests of both Europe and the United States.
“If they [the US] reduce the aid, then we need to continue supporting Ukraine, because I’m worried about what happens if Russia wins. I think we will have more wars, bigger wars,” she said.
Kallas described aid to Ukraine as an “investment” in both “own” and global security. She highlighted this point, particularly in light of the North Korean military’s involvement in the war in Ukraine and China’s military exercises in the South China Sea.
“China is also learning from what Russia does,” she added.
Background:
- On Tuesday, 10 December, the US Department of the Treasury announced the allocation of US$20 billion to Ukraine under the Group of Seven initiative to utilise proceeds derived from frozen Russian assets.
- As part of the G7 plan, each country makes different commitments to secure a loan for Ukraine. The European Union, for example, will provide €18.1 billion in macro-financial assistance secured by the proceeds from frozen Russian assets.
- The EU explained that the funds would be provided in equal monthly tranches until 2025 and could be used for defence purposes.
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