By KYIV. Oct 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Belgium’s experience in using frozen Russian assets should be scaled up at the continental level, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, speaking via video link at a meeting of the College of the European Commission.
“I am grateful to all of you – both as representatives of the EU and all the EU member states – for all the support provided to Ukraine! Defense, sanctions, humanitarian and financial support. And I would like to emphasize the long-term support programs – in particular, the European Commission’s initiative to create a Financial Instrument for Ukraine,” he said, noting that he expects its final approval by the end of the year.
“And I would like to note the experience of Belgium for the first strong step in Europe regarding the use of frozen Russian assets to compensate for the damage caused by Russia’s aggression. It would be fair – if such a decision was scaled-up to the level of the entire continent,” Zelenskyy said.
According to him, “the next steps should be taken including the confiscation of the aggressor’s assets. This should be Europe’s rule for the world – the aggressor pays the highest price for violating peace.”
Zelenskyy considers it “important to continue to make sanctions pressure on Russia for its aggression effective.”
“The way the free world’s sanctions are working now is a model for how we can put pressure on other disruptors of peace. Every sanction imposed must be one hundred percent effective. The same applies to pressure on intermediaries who help Russia circumvent the sanctions regime,” the president said.
