“We will continue to work together to develop a wide range of financing options to support Ukraine, including potentially using the full value of the Russian Sovereign Assets, immobilized in our jurisdictions until reparations are paid for by Russia,” finance ministers from G7 countries stated after their meeting.
In a note of caution, they added that “our action will remain consistent with our respective legal frameworks.”
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has ruled out using the Russian assets due to legal concerns, according to an EU diplomat briefed on the meeting.
However, some officials indicated Japan’s stance was tied to U.S. opposition to using the Russian assets for Ukraine, as Tokyo wants to maintain its relationship with its crucial ally. Like the EU diplomats, they were allowed to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive matters.
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated his intention to use the Russian assets as a means to bring President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
Rather than sending the money to Kyiv, Washington has proposed returning part of the assets to Russia and using the rest to finance U.S. investments in Ukraine.
Leave a Reply