The United States has proposed to European countries to unfreeze some of Russia's sovereign assets as part of a possible peace deal for Ukraine. The idea was discussed at meetings in Miami last week, attended by representatives of Ukraine, France, Germany, Britain, the European Union and NATO, the “Financial Times“ reported, quoted by RBC.
The proposal was presented by President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Among the options discussed was the transfer of some of the funds to a special financial mechanism under US control. According to information, the idea was considered as part of a broader package to resume talks to end the war.
European representatives rejected the proposal. They opposed both the relinquishment of control over the assets and the possibility of some of them being returned to Moscow. One of the sources of the „Financial Times“ stated:
What funds are blocked
The largest part of the Russian assets is located in the Belgian depository „Euroclear“ - about 170 billion euros in the form of securities. The European Union uses the proceeds from these funds to support Ukraine, but the assets themselves remain frozen. In December 2025, the EU extended indefinitely the freeze of about 210 billion euros of Russian assets.
Moscow insists on their return. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian side will use all possible means and legal mechanisms to protect its property. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, in turn, rejected the idea of unfreezing and returning the funds to Russia.
Expected deliveries of diesel to the US
In parallel with the talks on the assets, Washington expects Russian diesel to begin reaching the American market before the midterm elections on November 3, writes the “New York Post“, quoted by RBC. According to a source in the publication, the fuel could arrive “within the next two weeks“, if all agreements are fulfilled.
On October 9, Trump announced that Russia would deliver over 300 thousand tons of diesel fuel immediately, another 500 thousand tons in November and 1 million tons after that. He also indicated the possibility of additional supplies of 3 million tons. According to him, the deal is aimed at the global market, which, according to him, is affected by high fuel prices.
The US Treasury Department has authorized certain transactions related to the sale, transportation and import of diesel of Russian origin until April 2027. Russia has also partially lifted the ban on the export of diesel fuel.
The special representative of the Russian President, Kirill Dmitriev, said that the contracts with the US will be signed in the near future. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that the logistics and conditions for direct supplies are being discussed, but the specific contracts and the first quantities have not yet been publicly announced.
Sources: rbc.ru