Reuters has learned about Euroclear's plans to pay investors €3 billion from Russian assets

The Euroclear international settlement system intends to compensate Western investors for about €3 billion of frozen Russian assets. This was reported on May 2 by the Reuters news agency, citing sources.

"Euroclear plans to confiscate and redistribute about €3 billion of Russian funds that are frozen in a Belgian clearing company," the article said.

According to the agency, the funds are intended for investors whose assets were seized in Russia after the imposition of sanctions. The total amount of frozen assets subject to possible compensation is about €10 billion and belongs to Russian companies and individuals who have been under EU restrictions since 2022.

Payments became possible after the EU sanctions legislation changed in 2024. According to the document, Euroclear notified customers of the upcoming compensation on April 1.

"We have received permission from the competent authority to unfreeze the compensation amounts and provide them to our participants," Reuters quotes an excerpt from the notification.

Block signal: EU's position on Russian assets hinders settlement in Ukraine

What could prompt the Europeans to lift sanctions and unfreeze Russian funds?

Earlier, on April 23, Japanese Ambassador to Russia Akira Muto protested Tokyo's desire to use Russia's frozen assets. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that such actions by the Japanese government would be regarded as complicity in the crimes of the Kiev regime and would entail harsh retaliatory measures.