EWhat if Washington transferred the money and assets it confiscated from Russia…directly into Ukraine’s accounts? This is what the White House proposed on Thursday, April 28, in a press release published by the American executive. The transfer of these assets – described as “kleptocratic” by Washington – would allow Ukraine to “compensate for the damage caused by Russian aggression”.
This proposal marks a hardening of the Western position against Moscow, and must be accompanied by new massive military aid to kyiv which should be announced on Thursday by American President Joe Biden. The United States has already supplied more than $3 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24. The White House is now seeking sufficient funding from Congress to be able to extend that assistance through October.
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On the sanctions side, European Union (EU) countries have so far seized more than $30 billion in Russian assets, including nearly $7 billion in luxury goods belonging to the oligarchs (yachts, works of art , real estate and helicopters), the White House said. The United States has meanwhile “sanctioned and blocked ships and planes worth more than a billion, as well as freezing hundreds of millions of dollars of assets of Russian elites in American accounts”.
And this month, Spain granted a US request to seize a superyacht, worth $90 million, owned by Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, an ally of President Vladimir Putin.
Joe Biden is scheduled to speak at 10:45 a.m. (2:45 p.m. GMT) on Thursday to address “support for Ukrainians defending their country and their freedom against Russia’s brutal war,” the White House said.