More than 100 MEPs from all major political groups have sent a joint letter to top European Union leaders, calling for the immediate reopening of talks on the use of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
The initiative comes at a critical moment as Kiev reports an immediate €23 billion shortfall in defence funding, while the cost of the devastation from Russian aggression is estimated to exceed €600 billion. Although the EU previously approved a €90 billion support loan, MEPs warn that this package is insufficient, with member states reluctant to allocate additional money from their national budgets.
The European Commission's previous plan to return more than 200 billion euros in frozen loans to Ukraine failed at the Brussels summit due to legal risks. Countries such as Belgium, which hosts the main depository Euroclear under Prime Minister Bart De Wever — as well as Italy, Bulgaria and Malta — expressed fears that they could face financial lawsuits from the Russian Central Bank.
To unblock the situation, MEPs propose a new technical solution:
Creation of a community instrument: Russian funds would be transferred to a special EU structure, which would assume all possible legal obligations towards Russia.
Member State Protection: This scheme eliminates the risk of direct lawsuits against countries like Belgium, guaranteeing continued funding for Ukraine's defense.
The letter, initiated by MEPs Karin Karlsbro, Nathalie Loiseau and Petras Auštrevičius, is signed by representatives from the EPP, Renew Europe, Social Democrats, Greens, ECR and The Left. The document has been sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, Council President António Costa and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, with the clear message that Moscow must pay for the damages of the war it has started.
