Estonia urges EU to ignore threats and use Russian assets for Ukraine

Estonian Defence Minister Martin Herem has stated that the European Union must use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, despite Moscow's threats of "punishment" for such a move.

Source: European Pravda, citing a statement by Estonian Defence Minister Martin Herem on the sidelines of the EU Council meeting at the defence ministers' level

Details: The Estonian defence minister believes the EU should ignore Russia's threats and utilise frozen assets to support Ukraine.

Quote: "From Estonian perspective at the moment, the most important is to support Ukraine. As the EU bilaterally and by using the frozen assets."

Details: He emphasised that this must be done "despite the fact the Russian foreign minister threatened us to punish for that and the Russian special forces are conducting sabotage acts."

"Estonia will continue to support Ukraine by 0.25% of GDP," the minister stressed.

Background:

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would secure the return of its gold and foreign currency reserves frozen in the EU and threatened European states should they decide to use them to support Ukraine.
• Earlier, it was revealed that Europe had put forward a new proposal for using Russia's frozen assets to support Ukraine, seeking to address Belgium's concerns over the legal risks it could face from such a move.

Read more: Strasbourg seeks Russian assets: can Russian funds be transferred to Ukraine pursuant to an ECtHR ruling?

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Originally reported by Ukrainska Pravda by Tetyana Vysotska,Anastasia Prots. Read the full story at the source.