Unfreezing Europe's Russian assets debate

There has been little movement in EU circles on the question of using over 200 billion euros ($227 billion) of immobilized Russian assets since Sweden reopened the topic a month ago, but those wanting to move the matter forward are increasingly going public with their ideas.

Months after the idea of directly using Russian assets was shot down in Brussels, Sweden led a new push on Aug. 27 to reopen the question as a way to deliver new support to Ukraine without hurting EU taxpayers and voters.

The idea was given a fresh sense of urgency with President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that Kyiv faces a $27 billion hole in its budget for 2026, and because third countries have yet to step in to cover the remaining third of what Ukraine needs, not already paid for by the EU's 90 billion euro ($102 billion) support loan.

Photo: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images.