Financial help
Merz wants to use Russian fortune for Ukraine credit
The EU has frozen a Russian billion dollar assets. What to do with it? Now Friedrich Merz has a specific proposal.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to provide Ukraine with the help of frozen assets from the Russian central bank in Europe with an interest -free loan of almost 140 billion euros. “This loan would only be repaid if Russia has compensated Ukraine for the damage caused,” Merz writes in a contribution to the “Financial Times”.
The EU countries would therefore no longer have to finance a large part of the necessary support for Ukraine from their own households. Instead, they would only have to make guarantees in the event that the frozen Russian funds must be released unexpectedly.
Friedrich Merz: “End the cynical time game Putin”
Merz writes: “For this comprehensive help, it will require household guarantees of the Member States.” These bilateral guarantees should be replaced by securing the EU’s multi -year financial framework as soon as the new household framework is available 2028. The funds to be mobilized would protect Ukraine’s defense ability for several years. The Chancellor wants to address his proposal next week at the informal EU summit in Copenhagen.
“We need a new impulse to change Russia’s calculation,” writes Merz. “Now we have to start an effective lever to thwart the Russian President’s cynical game and force him to the negotiating table. This needs the courage and self -confidence to set our own agenda instead of just reacting to his.”
At the same time, he wanted to give “the brave Ukrainians new hope”. “We also send the right message to Washington: We have to go the way to a fair and permanent peace together.”
From the Leyen also made a move
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently had a move in this direction. Around two weeks ago, she said in a speech that a new solution was urgently needed to finance Ukrainian war efforts based on the frozen Russian assets. She suggested that Ukraine, based on the liquid shares, to grant a reparation loan. The assets themselves should remain unaffected.
According to commission, around 200 billion euros in the EU frozen path from the war of aggression against Ukraine are frozen around 200 billion euros from the Russian central bank. The interest income is already being used to finance weapons and ammunition for Ukraine.
Dpa
tiss
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
