Kremlin’s frozen assets in Europe will never be returned to Russia — Sikorski
Russian sovereign assets frozen in Europe will never be returned to Russia and could eventually be used as war reparations or to help rebuild Ukraine.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated at the Europe Future Forum in Warsaw that Russian state assets frozen in Europe will never be returned to Russia. These frozen funds, exceeding €200 billion, will be utilized to aid Ukraine's reconstruction efforts and prevent further destruction. Sikorski emphasized that even post-war Russia remains a threat and called for fortifying Europe's defense capabilities.
Polish defense spending accounts for approximately 7% of its GDP, but he stressed that a collective security framework cannot be established by individual nations. European NATO members have increased their defense spending by 100% since 2014, aiming for an annual expenditure of over €800 billion by 2035. Sikorski also highlighted the defense budgets of Baltic countries, which surpass Russia's military budget in peacetime.
The Polish foreign minister stressed that Europe's defense priorities should focus on developing long-range strike capabilities, utilizing AI for data analysis, strengthening cyber capabilities, and mass deployment of drones and counter-drone systems. Sikorski warned against underestimating Russia's militarism and urged Europe to learn from its past failures, stating that Poland must be prepared for potential escalation of Russian aggression.
Written by urgent.news from Ukrinform - Politics's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
