EU states can’t agree on Russian assets – Kallas  — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

EU members continue to disagree on what to do with Russian assets frozen by the bloc, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday. Any move to seize the funds requires unanimous support from member states, which is currently lacking, the diplomat admitted.

Kallas, who became the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy in December, previously called for $300 billion in frozen Russian funds to be tapped for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Speaking in Brussels on Monday, however, she stated that “we need to have everybody’s support for this and so far, we do not have the support for this.” Kallas added that she was “not that optimistic that we will reach an agreement in March,” although she also claimed that “one more country that used to be against moving on with this and came on board.”

A noted hawk on Moscow, Kallas demanded that “all business with Russia must stop” while she was Estonian prime minister. She faced resignation calls in 2023 over revelations that her husband held a 25% stake in a logistics company that provides services in Russia.

Western allies froze about $300 billion in assets belonging to the Russian central bank shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict three years ago. The bulk of the funds, around $213 billion, is being held in the Brussels-based clearinghouse Euroclear.