Russian assets are only leverage if Europe uses them, says Ukraine's FM Sybiha
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LUXEMBOURG — Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told journalists that Europe using Russia's frozen assets to help Ukraine is how it shows its strength in a world where it cannot depend in the U.S.
"Europe can no longer stay immobilized on Russia's immobilized assets. The leverage is not in holding the money, but in using it for defense," Sybiha said.
"We hear reservations and we are ready to address them: shared responsibility, not Belgium's burden," he added.
He later described making direct use of the 200 billion euros ($224 billion) of Russian assets immobilized in the EU since 2022 as "a fair approach," and that "the aggressor must pay."
But since four EU countries tried to reopen the topic in August, there has been no further progress on the issue, with the European Commission unwilling to make a concrete proposal until the 27 member states can agree on what they want.
Sybiha's comments came as part of a wider call for Europe to show it has leverage against Russia and to use it, naming sanctions and integrating Ukraine as other forms of leverage, in addition to using Russian assets.
"My message to European colleagues is simple: the era of dependence is over. Europe should take its future in its own hands, speak with one voice and restore peace," he said.
Sybiha's message came after several days of what he called "puzzling moves."
Those moves included U.S. President Donald Trump's likely illegal deal to buy Russian diesel; Trump's declaring that Ukraine should hold elections to remove President Volodymyr Zelensky; and Trump's unilateral announcement of an "energy ceasefire," without telling Ukraine or Russia, and which Russia has not kept.
