BERLIN, May 27. /TASS/. Germany’s former Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer says that EU countries and the US are trying to find legal avenues that would allow them to hold on to Russia's frozen assets and use them for Ukraine.
Kiev needs about $100 bln a year to sustain its fight against Russia, according to the ex-minister. "That’s why it’s reasonable to discuss, first, how these funds can remain frozen and not be returned to Russia, and second, how we can use this money legally - not through confiscation, which would lead to legal problems, but within the framework of the law," she said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk.
This issue is being discussed "now in many circles in Europe and in America," she noted. "Discussions are also underway in Germany’s ruling parties, in security structures. I cannot say whether such a decision [to support the use of Russian assets for backing Ukraine] will be made or when to expect clarity about this from the government. It definitely depends on other partners, with the interests of Belgium and France particularly affected, and also on the stance of the ECB (European Central Bank - TASS) and G7 countries. Still, what I can say is that these ideas are on the table," added the former minister, whose name has been mentioned by the German media as a possible successor to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (his presidential term will end in 2027).
The EU, Canada, the US, and Japan collectively froze around $300 bln worth of Russian assets after the onset of the special military operation, with roughly $5-6 bln being in the United States, and the largest portion being in Europe, including the Euroclear international platform in Belgium, where $210 bln are sitting.