KI short logo

Opinion

Submit an opinion
This is the momentum for Europe to act: seize Russian assets
Opinion

This is the momentum for Europe to act: seize Russian assets

by Margus Tsahkna

About the author: Margus Tsahkna is Estonia’s foreign minister. If Europe truly wants to be a real player in the geopolitical arena and to shape its own security and future, it must match strong words with decisive action. Europe has one powerful lever in its hands right now: Russia’s frozen assets. It’s time to use them. Around 210 billion euros ($246 billion) in Russian central bank assets are sitting frozen in Europe for one reason: Russia chose a full-scale war of aggression. And internati

More from Opinion

NewsLetters

News Feed

Russia's Central Bank seeks $229 billion in damages from Euroclear

Russia's central bank has filed a lawsuit seeking 18.2 trillion rubles ($229 billion) in damages from Euroclear, escalating Moscow's dispute with the Belgium-based securities depository as the EU considers how to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

Tuesday, December 16

European leaders present 6-point security, recovery plan for Ukraine

In a joint statement issued Dec. 15, European leaders outlined a six-point security and recovery framework for Ukraine, committing to long-term military support, a European-led and U.S.-supported multinational force operating inside Ukraine, and legally binding measures to respond to any future attack.

‘No need to hold referendums’ — Amid US pressure, Ukrainians reject territorial concessions

As U.S. pressure on Kyiv grows, Ukrainians oppose Russian demands. If concessions are put up for a vote, those who spoke with the Kyiv Independent said they would flat out deny the terms. Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that any territorial concessions to end Russia's all-out war, mentioned in a U.S.-backed peace plan, should be decided by the Ukrainian people, including through a referendum. This idea had been floated before. But like elections, holding a referendum is prohibited

Few politicians are interested in Anti-Corruption Court's effective work, court's head says

Few decision makers are interested in making the High Anti-Corruption Court actually work, Vira Mykhailenko, the court's head, said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. Set up in 2019 as part of a Western-backed reform, the court was designed to rule on cases brought by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The three institutions were created from scratch to fight top-level corruption instead of traditional courts and l

Vira Mykhailenko, head of Ukraine’s Supreme Anti-Corruption Court in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 31, 2025.

Most Popular

Editors' Picks

News Feed