US proposes unfreezing Russian assets to restart peace talks

The United States is proposing to unfreeze part of the blocked Russian assets in order to bring Moscow back to the negotiating table, sources told a foreign newspaper. Washington has floated several options; one of them is transferring the funds to a new trust fund that the US would oversee.

A US official told the paper that the use of frozen assets was discussed last week in Miami by the US, Ukraine and Europe as part of a possible comprehensive peace deal. The mechanism for unfreezing remains a subject of discussion. Ukrainian negotiators said the issue had already been raised with the American side at earlier meetings. European representatives rejected the plan presented by US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Even so, the plan took both Europe and Kyiv by surprise: they have questions about US intentions and about a markedly different approach to pressuring Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine, the paper writes.

According to its sources, by unfreezing part of the assets the US wants to get Russia back to the negotiating table. This, it is claimed, was also helped by the oil deal between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which the White House chief announced last week. Trump drew criticism for it: it is said to be a sanctions concession that Russia received without any conditions.

Reuters recalled the Russian leader’s position: he is ready to return to negotiations only after capturing all of Ukraine’s Donbas. According to American analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia may never manage to do so, as it may lack the forces.

The West froze Russian assets worth about €289.5 billion after Moscow’s attack on Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine received a €45 billion loan backed by the income from these assets.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz