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Maria Malmer Stenergard urges EU to utilize frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's defense

Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard is leading a diplomatic effort to convince the European Union to use Russia's frozen financial assets to support Ukraine. In an open letter co-signed by the foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain, Maria Malmer Stenergard requested that EU officials discuss how to utilize the over 200 billion euros of immobilized assets to benefit Ukraine. This move aims to provide structured financial support to Ukraine without placing a heavy financial burden on European taxpayers. While the EU approved a 90 billion euro support loan in April 2026, a significant portion of Ukraine's budgetary needs remains unfilled. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs also advocated for using these assets to pay for Russia's 'brutal attacks' on both Ukraine and the EU. Kulbergs noted that Russia continues to make money through exports like LNG and gas, while its war spending is funded by Ukraine's defense. The Latvian leader emphasized that Russia should pay for the damages it caused, rather as than relying solely on Ukraine's own resources or EU citizens' money.

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