Let Putin pay. When Ukraine receives blocked assets of the Russian Federation

According to Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmigal, the government has identified four key sources of funding for the restoration of the country: "Today the total amount for recovery from already clear sources is about UAH 110 billion. Priority restoration of damaged and destroyed property, "the Prime Minister said. Since the full -scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine in February 2022, rigid sanctions have struck the aggressor.

One of the first was to block the assets of the Central Bank and money of Russian sub -companies, businessmen, politicians. However, experts interviewed by focus are not ready to name the exact amount that may be about. There is also no data in the foreign press how many billions have already been blocked and what will be with them.

According to Bloomberg, the EU and partners from the Great Seven have frozen about 300 billion euros ($ 311 billion) of the Russian Central Bank reserves, and in addition, 19 billion euros of Russian assets under sanctions. The publication notes that these estimates are not complete and assets are in a balanced state and cannot be distributed. "Frozen assets of the Central Bank are estimated about 300 billion euros.

But at the end of last year, the EU and the United States began to say that not all of the frozen assets were supported by real reports. ,-says Timothy Milovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics, Minister of Economics Development (2019-2020), adviser to the head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine.

According to the interlocutor of the focus, the figure of 300 billion euros, which is voiced everywhere, comes from the reports of the central bank of Russia and, most likely, it is not simply voiced. According to Milovanov, the following assets of Russian business and oligarchs are also known: * The indicator can some extent cross with other named figures as noted 5 billion, and in different countries, approximately $ 1 trillion Russian funds is frozen.

Vitaliy Shapran adds that this figure is dynamic, since the searches of assets are ongoing, the list of sub -persons is supplemented, and given that it is not only about bank accounts, but also about real estate, yachts, cars, etc. - arrests or selling property are occurring. Whatever the figures are called, it is a tremendous amount by Ukrainian standards. For comparison, the expenses of the State Budget of Ukraine for defense for 11 months of 2022 amounted to $ 26.

109 billion in the currency equivalent of $ 26. 109 billion. In the budget for 2023, income of about $ 36. 153 and expenses - $ 71. 805 billion. That is, theoretically, the assets of the Russian Federation can be for Ukraine. expenditures including payments with creditors.

At the end of 2022, after a resonant visit to the United States, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky became aware of the adoption in the USA changes to the legislation, according to which frozen Russian assets could be transferred for the restoration of Ukraine. It is a correction of the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

"This amendment will allow the Ministry of Justice through the State Secretary to transfer income from arrested assets of oligarchs or other subcontracting organizations of the people of Ukraine," - quotes CNN of the author of the bill. Graham also notes that it will be a blessing of the long -suffering people of Ukraine, a relief for US taxpayers and a bad day for oligarchs (Russia).

According to Timothy Milovanov, it is about the use of the oligarchs' assets (about $ 30 billion, which appear in the Repo report and the funds confiscated for violation of sanctions) that will be provided to Ukraine in the form of technical assistance. According to Igor Chudovsky, the governing partner of JSC "Chudovsky and partners", this amendment will allow the use of sales and income from assets, including confiscated yachts, private aircraft, mansions and expensive objects people.

The solution has a long prehistory. The corresponding mechanism was to introduce the bill HR 6930. "This bill involves the creation of a working group that should determine the constitutional mechanisms by which the president can take steps for arrest and confiscation of assets belonging to any foreign person under sanctions whose wealth Obtained as a result of the support or corruption related to Vladimir Putin's regime, " - said Igor Yuk Winner.

The House of Representatives voted for this document on April 27, 2022. But the Senate left him without support. According to Igor Chudovsky, before the adoption of the bill in the Senate and the signature of the President, the document cannot come into force. But, after all, this obstacle managed to overcome. "Although the HR 6930 bill was not adopted, its provisions could become law in case of their inclusion in another bill.

And legislative texts are usually submitted at the same greater laws, " - specifies the legal subtleties of Chudovsky. That is, according to the interlocutor of the focus, this was the case on December 22, 2022, when the US Senate unanimously approved the above important amendment to the Budget Law for 2023. This or that work on the creation of a legal mechanism for the transfer of blocked Russian assets to Ukraine is conducted in almost all countries of the sanction coalition.

Timothy Milovanov reminds that the first legislative decision on the possible transfer of confiscated assets of Ukraine was made by Canada. Moreover, there is already the first case in the boundaries of this legislation. Let us clarify, on December 19, Canada's Foreign Minister Melani Joli announced the demand of confiscation in favor of Ukraine $ 26 million in Roman Abramovich Granite Capital Holdings Ltd.

Igor Yasko also gives an example of Estonia, which, within the sanctions against Russia, has frozen in the country's assets of Russians for tens of millions of euros and prepares a legal basis for their transfer to Ukraine. "The goal should be to send this great resource for restoration, to support Ukraine," the Minister of Foreign Minister of Estonia Rainsal quoted the media. Another example mentioned by Yasko is Switzerland, which blocked Russian financial assets worth about 7.

5 billion francs and, in addition, 15 real estate objects. However, Ukraine, according to the interlocutor of the focus, is unlikely to receive them. After all, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of this country Ignacis Cassis stated that confiscation of funds in countries or individuals is "a delicate case for Switzerland, and ownership is a valuable asset.

" "The largest Russian assets is frozen in the EU, but unfortunately, our European partners are slowly moving towards their transfer to Ukraine, because the EU still lacks the relevant legislation," continues Vitaliy Shapran. "It was to be developed in October 2022, but from It is clear that the European Commission has problems collecting data from Member States regarding the number of arrested Russian assets.

" That is, as Shapran concludes, practical steps to transfer blocked Russian assets have made only Canada and the US, and the EU is preparing for such a step very slowly. However, the aforementioned shifts of the United States can stimulate procedures to other partner countries. "It should be expected that other countries, including members of the European Union, which retains the lion's share of Russian assets, will also adopt similar legislation.

Because the example of the US is usually imitated by our other allies," Igor Chudovsky emphasizes. "Countries freeze assets because it is profitable for them. Their banks are able to use a conditionally free resource for a very long time. For example, Korean banks where Iran's foreign currency reserves have been placed, since 1979 they hold these assets. Another thing is to transfer these assets to the victims - There were few precedents, ”says Vitaliy Shapran.

Accordingly, the interlocutor of Focus predicts that most of the US assistance from Ukraine in 2023 will receive in the form of military assistance. " On the one hand, this is quite real [to get confiscated Russian funds], - - - Timothy Milovanov considers. - On the other hand, there are many parallel processes that can influence. For example, the work of the whole "big seven" on the only mechanism of using Russian assets to cover harm, loss and compensation to victims.