A senior official from Germany’s Christian Democratic Union, Norbert Röttgen, has called for the seizure of frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine. According to Röttgen, approximately 250 billion euros of the 300 billion euros in frozen Russian assets are located in Europe. He believes that these assets should be seized and used to support Ukraine, dismissing concerns that this would deter investors from the European capital market.
Röttgen argued that only investors who plan an attack would be deterred and that those who do should seek alternative investment options. He questioned why the German and European taxpayer should finance Ukraine’s defense when there are 300 billion euros of Russian state assets available, which were used to finance the aggressive war in Ukraine.
The official also expressed support for a proposal by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to increase defense spending to five percent of the gross domestic product in the future. He believes that this is necessary to maintain the presence of the United States in Europe and to ensure European security, which he considers to be a vital interest.
Röttgen emphasized that the current security situation in Europe requires the United States to remain engaged in European affairs, not out of nostalgia for the past or a desire to be a loyal vassal of the United States, but because it is in Europe’s fundamental interest to maintain the self-perception of the United States as a European security power. He believes that European security must be carried more strongly by Europeans themselves if it is to remain transatlantic.