While Western countries have frozen $300 billion in Russian assets, they can only access the income generated by these funds, approximately $3.2 billion, annually.

By setting up a fund with loans to be repaid using this income, countries can offer immediate support to Ukraine beyond this amount.

I wonder why they cant liquidate a percentage of any of the currently held assets? I guess most are intangible? Or some other international law preventing direct asset control

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 16 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

They probably can, but it's a further escalation in sanctions and would set a precedent that investments in another country aren't safe.

By holding them, it also gives an incentive to end the war. Stop the war and get 300 billion back!

Edit: someone else referred to it as the carrot (held money) and the stick (donated weapons). Carrot and stick is better than stick and stick. Better up to a point anyway...

[–] monomon@programming.dev 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I mean didn't Russia already seize foreign companies, so the precedent is set?

[–] The_one_and_only@feddit.nl 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The precedent that that is setting, is that it is not safe to invest in Russia. If the EU does this, the precedent is that the EU is not safe to invest in.

Russia's economy is a dwarf compared to the EU or USA.

[–] monomon@programming.dev 1 points 4 months ago

Good point

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