U.S. considers using frozen Russian assets to arm Ukraine, says Envoy Keith Kellogg
In a potential shift of policy, the new U.S. Administration might consider leveraging frozen Russian state assets to supply arms to Ukraine.
The United States is exploring the possibility of using Russia’s frozen government assets, initially seized in response to aggression, to purchase weaponry for Ukraine, said the U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, in an interview with Fox News.
Kellogg emphasized that discussions are ongoing but stated that no concrete decisions have been reached yet.
"This topic is subject to discussion. This is always part of the work, because we have different options and we want to present to the President of the United States several of them so that he can choose. We have repeatedly talked about using Russian frozen assets to purchase American weapons. This is one of the pieces of the puzzle that needs to be discussed, and it will be on the President's table for discussion," Kellogg noted.
In response to the aggression against Ukraine, the West has frozen approximately $300 billion of Russian state assets, with most of these funds located in Europe. According to the U.S. Treasury, around $5–7 billion of Russian assets are currently blocked in the United States.
The U.S. has been a proponent of a full forfeiture of these funds to assist Ukraine in its recovery. In April 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would allow these funds to be used for aid to Ukraine.
However, European allies approach this strategy with caution, wary of potential negative legal and economic repercussions. At present, the EU supports Ukraine by transferring profits from the frozen Russian assets.