Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys called on the European Union to reconsider the possibility of using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine and increase pressure on Moscow. He made this statement during the GLOBSEC forum in Prague, as reported by Politico, according to UNN.
Details
According to Budrys, the agreement reached last year on a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine was only a temporary solution and did not close the discussion regarding Russian assets.
"This issue is not closed,"
the Lithuanian Foreign Minister emphasized.
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He noted that frozen Russian state assets remain a "real resource for supporting Ukraine" and could become leverage to force Russia into negotiations.
"I look forward to discussing this issue,"
Budrys said.
Previously, the EU refrained from the direct use of Russian assets following legal reservations from Belgium and political resistance from Hungary. Instead, the union agreed on a loan mechanism financed through EU borrowing. At the same time, the bloc's leaders left open the possibility of using Russian assets in the future if Moscow fails to pay reparations.
Budrys also warned that Ukraine will require significant financial support even after the current aid package concludes. According to him, Kyiv is already facing a shortage of funds for security and defense needs.
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