Blinken explained how the United States managed to find legal grounds for the transfer of some Russian assets to Ukraine
In particular, the funds were taken from a billionaire who violated sanctions
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken gave a wide-ranging interview to the American press after his unannounced visit to Kyiv in early September.
The aid package announced by Blinken during his visit to Kyiv includes some of the funds confiscated from Russian oligarchs. This had not been done before, in part due to various legal restrictions on the distribution of seized assets.
The Secretary of State explains how these restrictions were circumvented.
"There are about $300 million in frozen assets of oligarchs. In order to make these assets available and use them, as we have just done, there must be a very specific determination, a legal one, based on the specific frozen assets and actions of the oligarch. If a person, for example, violated sanctions. There must be a legal basis not only for freezing or seizing assets, but also for using them. And we have found such a basis for about $5.5 million, which we are already transferring to Ukrainians to support veterans," he said.
Blinken did not disclose from which oligarch the $5.5 million was taken.
"All I can say is that there is a specific legal definition that the person in question is breaking the law."
He also added that there will be more such cases of financing Ukraine using seized Russian assets.
"We are following this very closely, and the Ministry of Justice is also monitoring everything very closely. As I said, all those who made this war possible must pay for it," Blinken emphasized.
Journalist Yulia Ioffe emphasizes in her preface to the interview that Blinken is known for being much more progressive and aggressive in promoting aid to Ukraine than, say, Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor. He comes from the human rights wing of the diplomatic establishment, which is focused on humanitarian support.
"Blinken, like everyone in his camp, is incredibly passionate about what he does. He believes that the United States has an obligation to help stop genocide, atrocities and other crimes against humanity around the world," Ioffe said.
Read more about this in the article "Anthony Blinken: "The decision on how to defend its own territory from Russian aggression is a matter for Ukraine alone" – an adapted translation of the US Secretary of State's interview with the American press after his visit to Kyiv.
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