Balkans | Greece and Malta lagged behind EU sanctions on Russian assets

It turns out that Greece and Malta lagged behind other EU member states in freezing Russian assets in the European Union.

In Reuters news, citing a European document and an unnamed official, it was mentioned that Greece announced that it had frozen 212 thousand euros and that Malta had frozen 147 thousand euros of Russian assets, but these numbers are very low compared to the average of the European Union.

According to a European Commission document obtained by Reuters, 27 European countries have so far reportedly imposed sanctions on Russian assets worth €20.3 billion, while Italy, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria have reported more. Over a billion euros each.

Evaluating the figures for Greece and Malta, the EU official said, “It’s a bit surprising. Either they don’t have much or they’re not doing their job. Or they did something but they didn’t tell us.”

The European Union has placed 1,300 Russians and 120 organizations on the sanctions list against Russia, which has occupied Ukraine for more than 10 months. Economic sanctions covering trade, transportation, energy, banking, media and defense were also implemented.

The EU Presidency in Sweden announced that sanctions may include more people.

Can the assets of the Russian Central Bank be used to rebuild Ukraine?

Meanwhile, Brussels is discussing the possibility of using the Russian Central Bank’s assets in Europe, valued at around 300 billion euros, to help rebuild Ukraine.

Last year, the commission recommended investing in these assets and giving the proceeds to Ukraine. That way, if the penalties are lifted, the assets can be returned to their owners.

Since there is little legal precedent in this regard, some member states have expressed concern about potential lawsuits.

euronews