Europe hesitates to use Russia's money for Ukraine

Last week, however, French MPs adopted a non -binding resolution that calls on the government to use the frozen Russian assets to finance "military help for Ukraine and its reconstruction" - specifically the assets themselves and not just the interest that is achieved with it.

international perspective and legal concerns

The USA and Canada had already introduced laws that enable governments to confiscate frozen Russian assets. In the last days of bid administration, people also tried to convince European allies to confiscate the blocked Russian funds.

Progress was made last week when the European Parliament approved a resolution to confiscate Russian frozen assets for the “defense and reconstruction” of Ukraine. However, the text of the resolution still has to be coordinated by the parliamentary deputies.

financing and support for Ukraine

The EU is already using the interest from the frozen funds to Multimilliardschwers To support loans to Ukraine. Nevertheless, the hesitation of European governments remains with regard to the confiscation of capital. In a cautious assessment by the British Prime Minister Keir Strander on March 15, this is described as a "complicated problem".

economic and legal challenges

The concerns are both economic and legal in nature. "We do not believe these Russian assets," said French government spokeswoman Sophie Prima's last week and warned that this could create a dangerous precedent that deter foreign investments in Europe while the government examines legal ways to use the funds.

A country like China could be aware of possible European sanctions in an invasion of Taiwan, hesitation, funds in the region, according to the argument. Russia has increasingly deducted its official resources from the United States in recent years, apparently for fear of possible reactions to its aggressions in Ukraine and Georgia.

the rule of law and future perspectives

The hesitant attitude of Europe for confiscation - and not only for freezing - Russian assets are based on one of the basic principles of international law: the immunity of state assets abroad before confiscation. According to Frédéric Dopagne, professor of public international law at the University of Louvain in Belgium, the reason for the confiscation of Russia's assets would therefore be of crucial importance.

Replications for the damage caused by Russia in Ukraine and the strengthening of Ukraine's own defense skills against aggression are the strongest legal arguments that could lead to Europe. When the United States passed the law on the restoration of economic prosperity and opportunities for Ukrainians in 2024, the confiscation of Russian assets was justified by the fact that they should serve to rebuild Ukraine. In the debate about the non-binding resolution, the French MPs also voted for an amendment, which expressly excluded the use of Russian assets to finance our own defense.

unclear future and hopeful approaches

With around two thirds of all frozen Russian funds that are in the EU, the missions - and the potential advantages - are far higher for European governments than for the United States. Dopagne from the University of Louvain pointed out that the hesitation of Europe is partly due to a lack of historical precedent. According to the world wars I and II, a defeated Germany was obliged to pay reparations within the framework of international contracts. But since an even 30-day ceasefire with Moscow is not in sight, such a post-war agreement with Russia is rather a distant perspective.

unity among the Member States required

The arguments of both sides of the dispute have not yet reached the critical mass. States such as Belgium that have most of the frozen Russian assets (about 193 billion dollars, according to the Ukrainian Think Tank Institute of Legislative Ideas), remain skeptical, and the support of economic heavyweights like Germany would be crucial for a wider European settlement. Each EU-wide measure would almost certainly require mutual consent of all Member States, which is an unlikely result due to the support of Russia by the Hungarian and Slovak government.

civil servants of the bid administration had hoped to use Russia's frozen means as a means of pressure in peace negotiations in order to move Putin to the negotiating table. Under the enthusiastic approaches of Donald Trump to Moscow and the first steps towards a peace agreement after three years of struggle, a European confiscation of Russia's assets could rather burden negotiation dramaturgy instead of promoting them.

For the first time, Moscow's capital seems to be outside of European reach.

Report by CNN by Sérène Nourrisson.