The European Parliament (EP) intends to call for Russia's state assets to be stripped of sovereign immunity and used as reparations to Kiev in a resolution on the establishment of a tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine, according to a draft resolution
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2023) The European Parliament (EP) intends to call for Russia's state assets to be stripped of sovereign immunity and used as reparations to Kiev in a resolution on the establishment of a tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine, according to a draft resolution.
The resolution is expected to be put to a vote during the EP plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday. EP resolutions on foreign policy issues are not legally binding, but other EU institutions should take into account the views of EP members.
"The European Parliament, ... Invites the EU and the Member States, as well as their partners and allies, to engage in discussion on the legal possibility of using sovereign assets of the Russian state as reparations for the violations of international law by Russia in Ukraine, including potentially by denying such assets the protections of sovereign immunity or limiting such protections owing to the gross nature of these violations," according to the draft circulated on Wednesday.
In August, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the reconstruction package for Ukraine would be bigger than the Marshall Plan and would cost billions, with peacemaking being the sole responsibility of the Ukrainians. Scholz noted that discussions between the G7 states and the European Union on this program for rebuilding Ukraine have been ongoing.
In June, the G7 countries said they would explore options to support Ukraine and rebuild the country as soon as possible, including the use of frozen Russian assets. In December, G7 countries announced the creation of a multi-agency donor coordination platform to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction.
The EU has also repeatedly stated that it is exploring the possibility of using frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine, but as yet there is no legislative basis for such a move.
In November, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen proposed creating a special structure to manage the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank and private assets to support Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in turn, said that Moscow would take appropriate measures in response if the assets were confiscated.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The Russian Defense Ministry said the goal of the operation was to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine.
