Ukraine may finally access frozen Russian assets: Here’s how
Photo: European Court of Human Rights (Getty Images)
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has proposed a mechanism that could allow Ukraine to receive frozen Russian assets based on rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), according to PACE's press service.
The PACE Legal Committee believes that frozen Russian assets could potentially be used to pay compensation to Ukraine in accordance with ECHR decisions.
The committee adopted a draft resolution and recommendation prepared based on a report by UK representative Tony Whitmore. The document states that directing Russian assets toward compensating Ukraine could be a legitimate countermeasure and is consistent with international law norms.
PACE recalled that the ECHR has already found Russia responsible for serious human rights violations related to its war against Ukraine in two interstate cases. However, the court has not yet specified the exact amount of "just satisfaction" to be awarded to Ukraine.
Given the scale of the damage caused by Russian aggression, the potential compensation could amount to billions, tens of billions, or even hundreds of billions of euros.
What PACE proposes
Parliamentarians have called for the creation—under the auspices of the Council of Europe - of a special financial mechanism that would allow frozen funds of the Russian Central Bank to be redirected as compensation to Ukraine.
PACE also emphasized that Russia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe does not cancel its responsibility for violations committed prior to its departure. Russia ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights six months after being expelled from the Council of Europe, but ECHR rulings on previous violations remain in force.
The committee noted that this obligation under international law did not diminish over time and could not be canceled by Russian domestic legislation.
In addition, the PACE committee called on national authorities to ensure that other plaintiffs in cases against Russia can initiate legal procedures to claim compensation if Moscow refuses to pay.
Parliamentarians also proposed creating a public list of individuals found responsible for large-scale human rights violations who have not yet been held accountable.
The legal committee's proposal is set to be reviewed at a session on September 30.
Last year, the ECHR issued unprecedented rulings in two cases, affirming numerous Russian crimes.
In July 2025, the European Court of Human Rights found Russia responsible for human rights violations in Ukraine and the downing of flight MH17. This is the most comprehensive condemnation of the aggressor in history.
