Europe lacks unity in seizing Russian assets, says Tusk
Photo: Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland (Getty Images)
Following the summit in London, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Europe still lacks unity in confiscating Russian assets in the West. Some countries are concerned about the consequences of such a decision, reports The Guardian.
Tusk explained that even though all leaders agreed that freezing Russian assets was a good idea, some countries “feared the consequences either for the euro or the banking system.”
“Poland is very strongly pressing for this, but, let’s be real, as we are not in the eurozone, our voice in this discussion will not be decisive,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of continuing EU sanctions against Russia after their current term ends, despite Hungary's threat to veto them.
Negotiations with Russia
Tusk also spoke about the need to propose a format involving Europe, Turkey, and Canada to draft a negotiation plan with Russia.
“We all get a sense at this moment that no one has a plan for it, and that sense of chaos, makeshift approach … sometimes sparks emotions as we saw in that unseemly spectacle in Washington a few days ago, which we all would rather avoid,” he said.
He added that leaders must “calmly propose a systematic, common” to shape future negotiations on behalf of allied countries.
Tusk noted that he hoped European unity would make an impression on US President Donald Trump and help him be more receptive to some of Ukraine’s requests.
He also mentioned that the leaders did not discuss security guarantees for Ukraine at the summit. He once again warned that any such declaration must be binding to avoid creating a “false illusion of security.”
Speaking about next week’s European Council summit, he said he views it with cautious optimism, as it would "send a very clear impulse showing Putin and Russia that no one here, in the West, intends to surrender to his blackmail and aggression."
Additionally, Tusk rejected any assumptions about a rift between Europe and the US. He assured that Europe cannot allow this to happen.
Frozen Russian assets
Notably, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western countries froze the assets of the aggressor state. These assets total about $300 billion, mostly consisting of European, American, and British government bonds held in a European securities depository.
According to Politico, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain oppose confiscating these assets for Ukraine’s benefit. Meanwhile, the Baltic states and Northern European countries believe the funds should be immediately transferred to Ukraine. Reuters reports that Russia may agree to hand over part of its assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
