Europe weighs using frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine

Von der Leyen says EU and Japan aim to 'upgrade' security ties at July summit

2023-06-26 VDL interview.JPG

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 21. © Reuters

SHOGO AKAGAWA, RHYANNON BARTLETT-IMADEGAWA, and TAKASHI TSUJI, Nikkei staff writers

LONDON -- The European Commission is discussing ways to use frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine and hopes to put forward a proposal soon, the body's president, Ursula von der Leyen, told Nikkei.

"I am of the strong opinion that Russia must pay for the cost of the massive destructions it has provoked in Ukraine," von der Leyen said on Thursday in an email interview. In an extraordinary turn of events at the weekend, the leader of the mercenary Wagner Group employed by President Vladimir Putin to attack Ukraine staged a mutiny and threatened to march to Moscow before dramatically changing his mind.

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