🔗 Share this article

The UK is prepared to move forward with employing the entire amount of immobilized Russian holdings to support Ukraine's military campaign, Leader Sir Keir Starmer has announced.

In a shared declaration, the heads of state of the Britain, the French Republic, and Germany emphasized that this coordinated action would increase strain on Russia's leader Vladimir Putin and compel Russia to engage in negotiations.

They clarified that the initiative would be implemented in strong partnership with the America.

UK sanctions have blocked over £25bn of Russia's assets since Moscow began its comprehensive attack against the Ukrainian nation in 2022. Yet, previously, funds allocated to the Ukrainian government using Russian assets had only been sourced from earnings and returns accrued on them.

Sir Keir told Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky that the UK, the French Republic, and Germany were united in their aim to advance efforts toward utilizing the complete amount of the frozen Moscow's national holdings to end the war.

He stated that additional sanctions over the next period would apply more pressure on Moscow.

This declaration is subsequent to EU officials gathered in the Danish capital last week to debate employing frozen Russian holdings for a 140-billion-euro loan to the Ukrainian nation.

Last month, American leader Donald Trump called on Group of Seven partners to seize or otherwise use immobilized Russian assets, based on reports.

The total of frozen Russia's assets in the Europe is assessed to be nearly €211bn.

President Zelensky encourages Britain's Sir Keir Starmer to take part in the weapons procurement initiative

Moscow carried out extensive bombardments all over Ukraine on Friday, resulting in power cuts in large parts of the capital city, Kyiv, and several other zones.

A pair of individuals were killed and a minimum of 20 people were wounded in the assault, the Ukrainian government reported.

In a message on an online platform following the incident, Zelensky wrote that the cynical and calculated attack aimed at public and utility structures.

"What's needed is not just talk but firm measures - from the United States, the European Union, and the G7 - in delivering air defence systems and applying penalties," he emphasized.

"All penalty impositions diminishes Russia's war machine," Zelensky wrote, in a separate post.

Additionally that day, Zelensky stated to reporters he would press Sir Keir to join the weapons procurement scheme, under which alliance members purchase arms from the US to donate to the Ukrainian forces.

While praising the Britain's consistent assistance for Kyiv, he said it should demonstrate clearly that it would participate in the initiative, as well as apply additional measures on Moscow.

Large-Scale Assaults Cause Outages in Kyiv and Across Ukraine

• War in Ukraine
• French Republic
• Germany
• Russia
• Ukraine