"All options are possible" when it comes to using frozen Russian assets as part of the European Union's support for Ukraine, said Matthias Mirsch, chairman of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) group in the Bundestag today. He is on an unannounced visit to Kiev with his colleagues, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Mirsch hinted that the issue could be discussed within the framework of the ongoing negotiations for new European sanctions against Russia.
Jens Spahn from the conservative CDU/CSU bloc is also in the Ukrainian capital, who stressed that "there must be consequences" for Moscow. According to him, a discussion is needed "whether and how these frozen assets can be used, despite all legal considerations".
Currently, around 210 billion euros of assets of the Russian central bank are frozen in the EU, with a large part of them being stored by the financial institution "Euroclear" in Brussels. Since last year, the union has been using the interest on these assets to finance the supply of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, DPA specifies.
However, a number of countries in the bloc remain skeptical of the idea of directly seizing the assets - due to legal obstacles and fears of Russian retaliation. Some analysts warn that such a step could undermine confidence in Europe as a financial center in the eyes of other countries and investors.
During their visit to Kiev, Mirsch and Spahn will discuss Germany's continued support for Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to end the war.
According to DPA, the visit also has a domestic political dimension - it is an attempt by the coalition partners in Germany to overcome tensions between themselves after the difficult start of the new government, headed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office in May this year.