President of the European Council Charles Michel advocates the confiscation of the assets of Russians who are under sanctions, with the aim of further use to repair the damage caused by Russia in the war it is waging against Ukraine.
This position was first voiced by the president in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
“Personally, I am absolutely convinced that it is extremely important not only to freeze assets, but also to make it possible to confiscate them, to make them available for the reconstruction of the country. This is my personal conviction,” said Michel.
At the same time, he stated, referring to the professional experience of working as a lawyer, that “the legal level of this issue is not so simple.” “There are 27 legal systems in the EU and in many EU member states this will require a court decision. It is a difficult and long process,” said the President of the European Council.
In this regard, Michel said that he had already instructed the legal service of the Council to prepare “some possible ideas to find a legal solution in accordance with the principles of the rule of law, which would facilitate and make it possible to confiscate the assets of people who are under sanctions by the EU or other countries of the world.”
“In my opinion, it is a matter of fairness, not only to freeze assets, but also to confiscate them in order to make this money available to the Ukrainian authorities…, especially for the reconstruction of the country. It’s a matter of fairness,” he said.
