Ukraine Condemns Europe’s €3 Billion Frozen Russian Asset Payout to Investors

Ukraine has strongly condemned the European Union's decision to distribute approximately 3 billion euros of frozen Russian Central Bank assets to Western private investors, arguing that it is unfair and undermines Europe's stance against Moscow amid the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian officials emphasize that international law mandates compensation should be directed to victims of aggression rather than investors, warning that prioritizing investors sends the wrong signal and weakens Europe's influence in negotiations with Russia. The criticism follows Belgium’s Euroclear clearing firm’s move to redistribute these funds to Western companies that lost money when Russia seized their assets. Ukrainian Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra highlighted that compensating private investors before war victims creates a perception of inconsistency and could erode the resolve of the Western alliance supporting Ukraine. This dispute arises as the West debates using the larger $300 billion of Russian wealth frozen in Europe to aid Ukraine's reconstruction and defense. The Ukrainian government under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to stress the need to maintain control over these frozen central bank assets as a critical sanction against Russia's full-scale invasion.