The Ukrainian government is collaborating closely with its Western partners to seek a consensus on Russian assets, and they are now more willing to engage in a dialogue on this subject.
Ukrainian Deputy Finance Minister Olha Zykova told this to an Ukrinform correspondent on the sidelines of Ukraine Resilience Business Forum in Luxembourg.
“According to the most recent joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4), the total cost of recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine over the next decade is estimated at $524 billion. This figure is approximately 2.8 times the projected nominal GDP of Ukraine in 2024. This substantial need cannot be covered even with external financial assistance from donor countries and international financial organizations,” Zykova emphasized.
Therefore, according to her, the issue of using Russian assets is becoming more relevant than ever.
“Partners are becoming more active and involved, and they are prepared to engage in meaningful discussions on the operational aspects of the compensation mechanism and the necessary legal adjustments to facilitate its practical implementation,” the Deputy Minister said.
As Ukrinform reported, according to media reports, leading European states are considering the possibility of seizing Russian assets amounting to over EUR 200 billion as a bargaining chip in the Ukraine war peace talks.
Sixty-two European MPs have sent an open letter to King Philip I of Belgium calling on him to support the confiscation of EUR 250 billion in frozen Russian assets and transfer them to Ukraine.
Photo credit: Kateryna Mozhova