Merz rejects US bid to control frozen Russian assets held in Europe
Photo: Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany (Getty Images)
Frozen Russian assets in Europe must remain under the control of European countries. Only they have the right to decide independently how to dispose of them, says German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, citing the Financial Times.
Journalists asked the German leader how he viewed the proposal to place Russian assets frozen in the EU under US control in order to facilitate a peaceful settlement.
These are assets that are frozen in Europe — and they must remain frozen in Europe, Merz emphasized, adding that this is Europe's business, and they make the decisions on it.
Information about a new proposal from US President Donald Trump's team to Europe has recently begun circulating in foreign media.
Washington has proposed that the EU unfreeze some of Russia's sovereign assets and transfer them to a financial structure under Washington's control to resume peace talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
A European Union leaders' summit is taking place in Brussels on October 15-16. The use of frozen Russian assets has not been included on the meeting's agenda. EU members do not plan to make any further decisions on financing Ukraine.
Earlier, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe proposed a mechanism that would allow frozen Russian funds to be transferred to Ukraine based on rulings by the European Court of Human Rights. However, there has still been no progress on this issue.
RBC-Ukraine reported on why the US wants to unfreeze some of Russia's assets.
