According to three unnamed sources, cited by the news agency Reuters, Russia may be willing to relinquish a portion of the frozen assets, valued at around 300 billion euros, in a peace deal with the Ukraine.
The European Union froze the assets shortly after the start of the Russian military operation and the interest earned is being made available to Ukraine. The EU has so far refrained from fully confiscating the assets, citing concerns about the impact on the stability of the euro.
One of the sources, cited by Reuters, said that Russia is willing to relinquish two-thirds of the frozen assets in exchange for guarantees, with the remaining third to be used for the reconstruction of the newly annexed regions. The reconstruction efforts are underway in the newly annexed areas, with Russia planning to raise the standard of living in these regions to the Russian national level within the next few years.
Another source told Reuters that it is too early to make specific statements about the possible division of the assets, while a third source stated that Russia continues to insist on the full return of the assets.
Reuters notes that the talks on regulating the Ukraine conflict are still in an early stage and the high uncertainty surrounding the possible entry into force of the made statements.
Meanwhile, a bill on the confiscation of assets from unfriendly countries is pending a vote in the Duma. The Russian Central Bank holds assets from the EU valued at 207 billion dollars, 67 billion in US assets and British assets worth 37 billion US dollars.