Shmyhal tells what he wants to do with Russia’s frozen assets
19 December 17:12
The government is proposing to combine frozen Russian assets and EU funds into a long-term plan for Ukraine’s recovery from the war. This was announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal on his Telegram channel on December 19, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
The head of the Cabinet of Ministers said that he had discussed the creation of a recovery mechanism based on the Marshall Plan with the EU Commissioner for Economic and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis.
“This (combining the frozen assets of Russia and EU funds – ed.) will allow European companies to be involved in the reconstruction on a mutually beneficial basis,” Shmyhal wrote.
The officials also agreed to hold intergovernmental consultations with the EU early next year. Valdis Dombrovskis assured of further humanitarian, military and economic support for Ukraine.
In addition, Denys Shmyhal thanked the EU for funding under the Ukraine Facility.
“This year we have received EUR 16 billion, which has become important for stabilizing the economy, supporting reforms and addressing urgent needs,” he summarized.
A few days earlier, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga called on Russia to return frozen assets to Ukraine.
He noted that when it comes to immobilized Russian assets, it is time to move from freezing to seizure – to use not only the profits but also the assets themselves to support Ukraine’s defense, resilience and recovery
“Western partners should transfer frozen Russian assets abroad to Ukraine. Not only the profits, but also the assets themselves should be used to support Ukraine’s defense and recovery. The aggressor itself should be forced to compensate for the losses and damage caused – both legally and fairly,” the country’s chief diplomat wrote on his page on social networking site X.
