EU should seize Russian reserves to rebuild Ukraine, Borrell says

The EU and its western allies have put curbs on the Russian central bank’s international reserves. (File/AFP)
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Updated 09 May 2022
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EU should seize Russian reserves to rebuild Ukraine, Borrell says

  • The EU should consider seizing frozen Russian foreign exchange reserves to help pay for the cost of rebuilding Ukraine after the war, its foreign policy chief says

The European Union should consider seizing frozen Russian foreign exchange reserves to help pay for the cost of rebuilding Ukraine after the war, its foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said in an interview with the Financial Times.
The EU and its western allies have put curbs on the Russian central bank’s international reserves since the country began its invasion of Ukraine, actions Moscow describes as a “special military operation.”
Borrell told the newspaper it would be logical for the EU to do what the United States did with Afghan central bank assets after the Taliban took over the Asian nation.
“We have the money in our pockets, and someone has to explain to me why it is good for the Afghan money and not good for the Russian money,” Borrell said.
Washington froze the Afghan funds after the military takeover by the Taliban and plans to use some to help the Afghan people while holding the rest to possibly satisfy terrorism-related lawsuits against the extremist militants.


UK, allies convinced Kremlin critic Navalny was poisoned

Updated 14 February 2026
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UK, allies convinced Kremlin critic Navalny was poisoned

  • That was the conclusion of the five ⁠governments based on analyzes ‌of ‌samples from Alexei Navalny – statement

LONDON: Britain and allies France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands are convinced that late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal ‌toxin in a ‌penal colony ‌two ⁠years ago, they ⁠said in a joint statement on Saturday.
That was the conclusion of the five ⁠governments based on analyzes ‌of ‌samples from Navalny, ‌according to the ‌statement issued in London.
It added that the analyzes had conclusively ‌confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin ⁠found ⁠in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia. The Russian government has denied any responsibility for Navalny’s death.