Joe Biden’s administration is trying to win the support of European countries to transfer about $300 billion of frozen assets of the Russian central bank to a special account, access to which will be granted only under the conditions of a peace agreement. About this informs CNN.
Biden is making last efforts before the end of his presidential term to ensure the confiscation of these assets, seeing them as an important lever of influence on Moscow. However, the US faces significant doubts from its European partners regarding such a move.
The bulk of the frozen assets are held in European banks, while only a small portion is held in US financial institutions. One of the representatives of the administration emphasized in a CNN comment that the withdrawal of these funds could be a powerful signal for the Kremlin: “If you want your money back, sit down at the negotiating table.”
The initiative has also been discussed with President-elect Donald Trump’s team, including Marco Rubio, who is slated to be appointed secretary of state, and Mike Waltz, the incoming national security adviser. Trump’s team supports this strategy, believing that asset forfeiture could encourage Russia to negotiate. Trump himself expresses an interest in a quick end to the war, which he believes has dragged on for too long.
