Sybiha Urges Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Buy Weapons for Ukraine, Announces Sanctions Measures Against Countries That Are The Largest Buyers of Russian Oil.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called on Western partners to use frozen Russian assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine and fund its reconstruction.

He made this statement during the Fair Play conference, which focused on introducing additional sanctions against Russia, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha announced that Ukraine will initiate appropriate sanctions measures against countries that are the largest buyers of Russian oil.

The minister also noted that Russian oil, gas, and related products—which account for up to 50% of revenues to Russia’s federal budget—continue to reach European markets.

Sybiha emphasized that it is time to move from using only the interest generated by frozen Russian assets to utilizing the assets themselves.

“It is time to go beyond using the interest and start using the assets themselves—to direct these funds toward the purchase of weapons for Ukraine, investments in the Ukrainian defense industry, and the country’s reconstruction,” he said.

The minister stressed that Russia poses an existential threat to the whole of Europe and the Euro-Atlantic space and called for bold decisions to stop Russian aggression.

“To stop [Russia], we must make extraordinary and courageous decisions. These should be based on our unity and the support of Ukraine by its partners,” he added.

According to Sybiha, during a recent meeting in The Hague with NATO member-state colleagues, he sensed that “the understanding of the threats posed by Russia is growing.”

Recently, it was revealed that the European Union plans to keep €210 billion worth of Russian assets frozen within the EU and to direct windfall profits from them toward Ukraine—at least until the end of 2025.

It’s worth noting that the EU has been debating the confiscation of frozen Russian assets for some time. However, major countries like France, Germany, Italy, and Spain oppose full confiscation, fearing it could scare off international investors and undermine the EU’s leverage in future peace negotiations.

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