British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley on Wednesday defended the UK-announced law to freeze Russian assets pending compensation to Ukraine.
This week, the British government announced a bill that would allow financial sanctions against Russia to be maintained until Moscow compensates Ukraine.
The law will allow the government to maintain sanctions by changing the purpose of the sanctions imposed on Russia after the military invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“UK domestic law gives us the right to continue to freeze the assets of sanctioned individuals until an appropriate scale of reparations has been made,” he said at a press conference during the International Reconstruction of Ukraine Conference (URC 2023), which is taking place in London. between today and Thursday.
According to Cleverly, the restoration of Ukraine is “a direct result of the all-out, unprovoked and illegal invasion of Russia, which is directed directly against civilian and energy infrastructure, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.”
“It is absolutely right that we are exploring all legal options both at home and abroad,” he said.
Cleverly said the UK would continue to “work closely” with its international partners “to share experience and ensure (…) close international coordination to maximize the effects and impact of the sanctions.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised during a conference today to submit a proposal before the summer holidays on what to do with the frozen Russian financial assets.
Last May, G7 leaders pledged that sovereign assets would be tied up until Russia paid for the damage it had done to Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference this Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said that Western countries continue to seek a solution to the problem of frozen Russian assets, but that “there are legal issues that have not yet been resolved.” “.
“Since December last year, the European Commission has been analyzing the possibility of using completely or partially frozen Russian assets to restore Ukraine,” he said.
According to Colonna, “there is a logic that the country that caused the damage is also responsible for making amends.”
URC 2023 has more than a thousand registered participants from at least 60 countries, of which about 40 are at the ministerial level, as well as leaders of international organizations, civil society representatives and business leaders.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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