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EU determined to keep Russian assets frozen until compensation paid to Kiev — resolution

The decisions of the European Council are legally binding for the EU institutions and all its member states, and can only be revised by a unanimous resolution of another summit

BRUSSELS, December 19. /TASS/. The EU summit adopted a resolution, which is legally binding on all countries of the community, that the illegally frozen sovereign assets of Russia will remain immobilized until the end of the conflict and payment of compensation to Ukraine for losses, according to the final statement of the EU summit.

"Subject to EU law, Russia’s assets should remain immobilized until Russia ceases" its special military operation in Ukraine and "compensates it for the damage" caused by this conflict, the statement says.

The decisions of the European Council (EU summit) are legally binding for the EU institutions and all its member states, and can only be revised by a unanimous resolution of another summit.

The European Union needs to keep Russian assets frozen for as long as possible, regardless of the conditions for ending the conflict, since the income from investment of assets has already been allocated for decades to come and must be used to service the EU and G7 loans provided to Ukraine.

The EU summit decision has already set the amount of external financing for Ukraine for 2025 at 30.6 billion euros.

Of this amount 12.5 billion euros will be paid from the Ukraine Facility, the total volume of which is 50 billion euros until 2027, and another 18.1 billion euros from the G7 loan program for 45 billion euros, which is supposed to be repaid at the expense of expropriated income from the reinvestment of Russian assets, according to the document.

The summit statement states that the EU "reaffirms its support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law" and at the same time "calls for the urgent stepping up of efforts, in particular on the delivery of air defense systems, ammunition and missiles, as well as on the provision of necessary training and equipment for Ukrainian brigades."

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