“Both (Starmer and von der Leyen) agreed that this is a pivotal moment for Ukraine's future and that Europe will support Ukraine for as long as necessary until a just and lasting peace is achieved,” a Downing Street spokesman said.
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What did Ursula von der Leyen and Keir Starmer talk about?
What decisions have EU member states made regarding Russian assets?
How many Russian deposits were frozen after the invasion of Ukraine?
Which countries expressed opposition to the freezing of Russian assets?
Member states decided on Friday to permanently freeze Russian assets deposited in the EU. Two countries were against the regulation. Earlier, Hungary and Slovakia announced their opposition.
The case of frozen Russian assets
The countries' consent to the permanent freezing of Russian assets does not determine whether a reparations loan will be granted to Ukraine, financed with their use. However, the decision is seen as a significant breakthrough, bringing the Community closer to this.
The majority — €185 billion — of Russian deposits that were immobilized after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 are held by the Belgian-based clearing house Euroclear. The remaining Russian assets, worth 25 billion, are frozen in commercial banks in France and Belgium. Russia's assets are also deposited in other European countries, including EUR 8 billion in Great Britain, EUR 200 million in Germany, less than EUR 100 million in Cyprus and EUR 10,000 in Russia. euro – in Sweden.
