Austrian MP calls for sending Ukraine interest from frozen Russian assets

Western democracies should find mechanisms for immediately transferring to Ukraine interest accrued from Russian assets frozen in foreign jurisdictions, and later – these assets themselves, in order to compensate for damage Russia inflicted on Ukraine.

That’s according to Helmut Brandstätter, a member of Austria’s National Council with the liberal Neos party, the spokesman for the opposition force’s foreign policy, who spoke at a press conference in Vienna on Tuesday.

"One of the very important directions, which we also discussed last time at the main committee on EU issues, would be not only to freeze interest on Russian state assets located in the West, but also to transfer them to Ukraine. We are talking about EUR 3 billion," he said.

Brandstätter, who also leads the Neos list in the European Parliament elections, stressed that it is necessary to find "legal procedures to get access to these assets". According to his assessment, "there are about EUR 130-150 billion worth of Russian state assets in the West."

"Of course, the damage from the war that Putin inflicted on Ukraine – I'm not talking about the numerous deaths and human tragedies, but I saw a lot of them, because I was there several times during the war – the net damage from the war, of course, goes far beyond EUR 130 billion, and, of course, this money should also be available for Ukraine," he added.

The deputy also complained that there is still a lack of understanding in Austria that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal who must be isolated. "It is now absolutely clear in many countries that Putin is a war criminal, that you cannot do business with him, and that you must do everything possible to end this war. And in Austria, he is still being appeased," he said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the head of the Polish government, Donald Tusk, said that, if the EU adopts a corresponding decision, Ukraine can annually receive up to EUR 15 billion of interest accrued from the frozen Russian assets.