The EU (European Union) representative on foreign policy issues suggested today that the bloc should consider rebuilding Ukraine using Russia’s foreign reserves blocked by the West.
“Someone should explain to me why this is fine with Afghan money, but not with Russia,” Josep Borrell, who took over as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told the British business newspaper Financial Times.
When speaking of “Afghan money,” Borrell was referring to the fact that, in early February, the US seized US$7 billion belonging to the Afghan Central Bank and deposited in institutions in the country, and transferred this amount to his US counterpart. . . .
The US precautionaryly requested that this amount be used to pay compensation to the families of the victims of the September 11 attacks and to fund humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, but this money did not pass through the hands of the fundamentalist group, the Taliban. runs the country.
According to the Financial Times, about $300 billion of Russia’s $630 billion in reserves held abroad was blocked in February, thanks to measures taken not only by the EU but also by the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
At the end of April, the World Bank estimated that physical damage to buildings and various infrastructures in Ukraine as a result of the Russian offensive, which began at the end of February, about two months ago, was around US$60. billion..
“These costs are rising,” said David Malpass, the institution’s president. A few days later, the US government came up with the idea of using assets confiscated from Russian billionaires to rebuild Ukraine.
“This is one of the most important political questions on the table: Who will pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine?” said the EU High Representative. said. “We have money in our pockets,” he said.
After the interview was published, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko criticized Borrell’s proposal. “This is sheer illegality, the destruction of the foundation of international relations,” he told the state news agency RIA Novosti.
source: Noticias
