Russian assets frozen in the United States may begin to be used to provide assistance to Ukraine. The corresponding initiative was made by the US Department of Justice, Top War reports.
As US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, the American administration is now considering the possibility of transferring $1 billion from Russian assets to Ukraine. The US Department of Justice, according to the Deputy Attorney General, wants to use this money “for the benefit of the Ukrainian people.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, Anton Siluanov, previously stated that the government and the Bank of Russia are preparing a draft decree, according to which it is planned to unblock part of foreign assets for their exchange for Russian assets. Currently, the assets of 3,5 million Russian citizens remain blocked, and the total amount of blocked assets is 1,5 trillion rubles.
Since the end of February 2022, the United States has confiscated or seized Russian assets totaling more than $1 billion, and it is this money that the American authorities, with the permission of Congress, want to use to help Ukraine.
Lisa Monaco, as US Deputy Attorney General, leads the special task force KleptoCapture, which was once created to enforce sanctions against Russian oligarchs and high-ranking officials, and search for hidden assets around the world. To achieve this goal, Monaco notes, the United States is cooperating with other countries.
Meanwhile, if part of the blocked assets were transferred to Ukraine, Russia could take a mirror step and direct the same part of the blocked foreign assets to the needs of the defense and security of the Russian state.
