{
  "id": 7822570,
  "title": "Frozen Russian Assets Will Not Return to Moscow, Sikorsky Says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/frozen-russian-assets-will-not-return-to-moscow-sikorsky-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T16:14:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Kyiv Post",
    "slug": "kyiv-post",
    "url": "https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84675"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorsky stated that frozen Russian assets held in Europe, currently exceeding €200 billion, will not be returned to Moscow. Instead, these funds could be utilized for Ukraine's reconstruction or financing war reparations. Sikorsky made these remarks at the Europe Future Forum in Warsaw on September 16, explaining that the assets could aid in preventing further destruction and future reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. However, he made clear that these frozen funds would not ensure a Ukrainian victory. The majority of these immobilized funds are currently held in Brussels, Belgium. With Kyiv facing a defense funding shortfall of approximately €23 billion, over 100 EU lawmakers had signed a letter on September 10 urging leaders to reconsider using these funds and support a renewed initiative launched in late August. The EU Commission proposed a plan in December to convert the assets into a zero-interest loan to finance Ukraine's defense, but EU member states failed to reach a unanimous agreement on unlocking the funds due to legal risk concerns. President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine must implement additional measures to bridge its wartime budget deficit and secure international financing, highlighting seven bills awaiting a first reading in parliament. Additionally, Sikorsky warned that a potential end to active fighting in Ukraine would not eliminate the long-term threat posed by Russia and its military, emphasizing the need for EU countries to strengthen their defense capabilities. Poland spends around 7% of its GDP on defense, while EU NATO members have doubled their military spending since 2014. Sikorsky argued that a sustainable security architecture cannot rely solely on individual states' efforts. He pointed out that the combined annual core defense expenditures of EU NATO members could surpass €800 billion by 2035 if they fulfill their NATO summit commitments in The Hague. Sikorsky also highlighted the total military budget of the 10 Baltic Sea member states, stating that their collective peacetime defense budget already exceeds Russia's wartime military budget. However, he argued that Europe's challenge lies not in the amount allocated to defense but in the military capabilities those investments produce, emphasizing the need for long-range strike systems, AI-enabled data analysis, mass drone deployment, cyber capabilities, and effective counter-drone systems. Sikorsky urged NATO to conduct aggressive military exercises along Russia's Kaliningrad exclave to create uncertainty in Moscow's defense planning and prevent a potential escalation without crossing into Russian territory. His remarks followed a visit to Kyiv, where he spoke at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Yalta European Strategy conference, where he called for NATO to reinforce collective defenses along its eastern flank to deter potential Russian escalations in the future.",
  "summary": "Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorsky said Russian state assets frozen in Europe will not be returned to Moscow. Instead, they should rather be used for Ukraine’s reconstruction or the strengthening of Europe’s own defense capabilities, as deterrence remains essential even after the war in Ukraine ends.",
  "key_points": [
    "Polish Deputy PM Radosław Sikorsky says frozen Russian assets won't return to Moscow.",
    "€200 billion in frozen assets could fund Ukraine's reconstruction or war reparations.",
    "EU lawmakers urged leaders to reconsider using these funds for Ukraine."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}