Zelenskyy: Russia must be punished for all evil it has brought to our land
The issue of reparations from Russia matters not only financially but also morally and legally, as it must be held accountable for launching the war against Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with Polish media, Censor.NET reports.
Russia must pay reparations
Zelenskyy noted that the EU’s decision to provide a €90 billion loan for two years gives Ukraine additional options. He added that Russia had been counting on Ukraine’s financial weakness.
"Of course, this gives us some additional cards. It is very important that Russia is held accountable for launching this war. All this money is connected, one way or another, to the issue of reparations. We are convinced that Russia must be punished for all the evil it has brought to our land. This is very important to me," he stressed.
Use of the funds
"Of course, €90 billion over two years is already €45 billion a year. This is still not €210 billion [the total amount of Russia’s frozen assets in the EU - ed.], but it is a step forward, and we will do everything to end this war so that we can use these funds to rebuild our country," the president said.
However, if the war cannot be ended, the money will go toward supporting Ukrainian soldiers in combat, Zelenskyy added.
Background
- It was reported earlier that European Union leaders on Thursday, Dec. 18, failed to reach agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine.
- According to Deutsche Welle, Belgium, Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, Bulgaria, Malta and the Czech Republic opposed the proposed mechanism.
- The EU later approved €90 billion in assistance for Ukraine in 2026-27 to support the country’s economy, defense and stability.
