🔗 Share this article

The British government is prepared to move forward with employing the full worth of frozen Russia's holdings to bolster the Ukrainian military campaign, Leader Sir Keir Starmer has declared.

In a collective announcement, the heads of state of the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and the Federal Republic of Germany stated that this coordinated action would escalate tension on Moscow's head Vladimir Putin and persuade Moscow to engage in negotiations.

They clarified that the initiative would be executed in strong partnership with the United States.

British restrictions have blocked in excess of £25bn of Russian assets since Moscow launched its widespread offensive against the Ukrainian nation in 2022. However, until now, funds provided to Ukraine using Russia's funds had exclusively been taken from profits and interest earned on them.

Sir Keir informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and the Federal Republic of Germany were in agreement in their desire to advance efforts toward using the total worth of the immobilized Russian sovereign holdings to conclude the conflict.

He added that more measures over the next period would heighten the tension on the Russian government.

This statement comes after EU leaders convened in Copenhagen last week to consider employing frozen Russian holdings for a 140-billion-euro financial aid to Ukraine.

Recently, American leader Donald Trump urged G7 allies to take or employ immobilized Russia's assets, based on news outlets.

The value of seized Russia's funds in the European Union is calculated to be nearly €211bn.

Leader Zelensky calls on the United Kingdom's Sir Keir Starmer to take part in the Purl programme

Russia launched widespread missile and drone strikes throughout Ukraine on that day, leading to power cuts in large parts of the capital city, Kyiv, and eight other regions.

A pair of individuals were fatally injured and no fewer than 20 people were wounded in the assault, authorities in Ukraine said.

In a post on X subsequent to the strike, Zelensky wrote that the cynical and calculated attack aimed at public and utility structures.

"The necessity is not just talk but firm measures - from the US, Europe, and the Group of Seven - in providing air defence systems and implementing restrictions," he emphasized.

"Every sanction decision undermines Russia's war machine," Zelensky wrote, in a separate post.

Also on Friday, Zelensky stated to reporters he would press Sir Keir to participate in the PURL program, under which Nato countries buy military equipment from the America to donate to the Ukrainian forces.

While praising the UK's consistent assistance for Kyiv, he noted it should indicate firmly that it would participate in the program, as well as apply additional sanctions on the Russian Federation.

Major Russian Strikes Cause Outages in Kyiv and Nationwide

• War in Ukraine
• France
• Federal Republic of Germany
• Russian Federation
• Ukraine