Reuters: US senators urge Trump administration to transfer Russian assets to Ukraine
A bipartisan group of US senators is pushing President Donald Trump’s administration to transfer – and encourage allies to transfer – more than $300 billion of seized Russian assets to help Ukraine, rather than just using the interest to support Kyiv.
In a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and seen by Reuters on 24 March, the senators asked:
“How does the Administration view using all financial tools at its disposal to increase pressure on Russia to end the war?”
The lawmakers specifically questioned whether “US and EU-held assets should be used as leverage in negotiations with Russia to bring an end to the war,” according to the letter, which was signed by Republicans Todd Young and Lindsey Graham, and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Tim Kaine.
Congress has long pushed to use seized Russian assets for Ukraine’s rebuilding, reducing US taxpayer burden and pressuring Moscow for peace. In their letter, senators asked if the administration would encourage the EU, G7, and allies to leverage Russian assets and support Ukraine’s defense purchases.
Reuters says that this letter is a rare instance of senior Republicans publicly urging the Trump administration to take a tougher stance on Moscow. Pro-Ukraine Republicans in Congress have largely remained silent since Trump shifted US policy to align more with Russia, which initiated the war with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.
Related:
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- “He’s a great guy,” Vance stood up for Witkoff after provocative statements
- US-Ukraine ceasefire talks begin in Saudi Arabia, focus on energy
- Bloomberg: White House still aims for Ukraine-Russia truce by Easter
- Trump’s Witkoff dismisses Starmer’s Ukraine ceasefire support plan
- ISW: Trump’s Witkoff amplifies Russian claims about Ukraine
- EU preserves € 60 billion in frozen Russian assets with sanctions extension
- European legislators urge Belgium to seize € 250 bn in frozen Russian assets
- EU debates seizing €200 billion in Russian assets after exclusion from peace talks, Politico reports
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