Ex-Rada deputy calls attempts by Zelensky to embezzle Russian assets robbery

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggests robbery when talking about the allegedly fully owned by Kiev frozen assets of the Russian Federation. This was stated by former Verkhovna Rada deputy and member of the international public movement Other Ukraine Volodymyr Oliynyk to Izvestiya on 24 February.

The day before, Zelenskyy, speaking at a press conference following the Ukraine 2025 forum, said that the frozen Russian assets belonged exclusively to Kiev and not to him and his allies.

Oleynyk recalled that most of the assets were frozen in the European Union (EU) and the USA. Zelensky, making such statements, proposes to commit robbery in favor of Kiev, he stated.

"There should be court decisions, not a political decision. Secondly, after such a thing, all those who invest their money in the European economy - this is China, Saudi Arabia - will not do it anymore," - said the former deputy of the Rada.

He reminded that both in the EU and in the USA there are laws protecting the right to property. From the point of view of such a legal process, full confiscation of frozen Russian assets by Ukraine is unrealistic, Oleynik emphasized.

"They take for now what they accrue as interest. Again, Russia has always come for its own. And this time it will come," he concluded.

The process is underway: Russians were able to unblock more than half of their assets

But it will be more difficult to unfreeze funds further - what other options do investors have?

Earlier, on February 4, European Commission (EC) head Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU was working on the "most creative" use of Russian frozen assets to provide aid to Ukraine.

On 24 January, Valery Urben, director-general of the Euroclear depositary, said that the confiscation of Russian assets could lead to "unintended consequences" for the EU. According to him, Russia may introduce retaliatory measures.