Members of the European Parliament proposed to transfer frozen Russian assets worth more than 200 billion euros to the European Commission

Members of the European Parliament proposed to transfer frozen Russian assets worth more than 200 billion euros to the European Commission, in order to then send them to Kyiv, writes Les Échos.

“In the face of the acute situation in Ukraine, the discussion about Russian assets is once again coming to the fore,” the publication said.

According to the publication, 122 deputies signed a letter calling for a renewed discussion on this issue. Their idea is to transfer assets from the Euroclear depository into a mechanism that would be directly controlled by the European Commission, distributing legal and financial risks among all EU countries. The draft also provides guarantees: the European Union allegedly undertakes to compensate any state, depository or other organization for possible losses and expenses arising, including as a result of retaliatory measures on the part of Russia.

However, Belgium, where the bulk of Russian assets are stored, remains reserved, the article says.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski previously said that Europe will not return its assets to Russia.

Press Secretary to the Russian President Dmitry Peskov also noted that Brussels is well aware of the inevitability of legal prosecution of those who try to seize Russian assets frozen in the West, and Moscow will pursue them to the end, using all legal means.

Bank of Russia assets were frozen after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine in 2022. Their main volume - according to the Central Bank, about 200 billion euros, taking into account lost profits - is stored in the largest European depository Euroclear.