Ukrainian parliamentarians appeal to Canadian govt to proceed with full-scale confiscation of Russian assets
To proceed with the full-scale confiscation of Russian state and oligarch assets, with such an appeal to the new government of Canada, Ukrainian parliamentarians from different factions have appealed.
"This would not only provide tangible support for reconstruction but also reaffirm the principle that aggressors must pay for the damage they cause," says the letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, which was supported by more than three dozen parliamentarians and a copy of which was given to the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
Its authors said that Canada, which holds the G7 presidency this year, not only applies constant economic pressure on Russia, but also became the first G7 nation to initiate the seizure assets belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs back in 2022.
"This bold step has set a vital precedent and reflects your country's commitment to ensuring that those enabling and profiting from Russia's aggression are held to account," the letter says.
The MPs also recalled an open letter from European political and opinion leaders addressed to Canadian political leaders calling for decisive action to advance the seizure of Russian assets ahead of the G7 summit, which will be held in Canada from June 15 to June 17.
"This momentum offers a critical opportunity to deepen international cooperation and strengthen global resolve," the Ukrainian parliaments said in their appeal to the Canadian government.
They added that direct infrastructural damages to Ukraine from Russian aggression, according to estimates by the Kyiv School of Economics, estimated at nearly $170 billion as of November 2024. This figure reflects a $12.6 billion increase from earlier that year, underlining the scale of devastation and the urgent need for long-term recovery and humanitarian assistance.
As reported earlier this year by the Canadian Federal Police, since February 24, 2022, Russian assets worth 140.1 million Canadian dollars have been frozen in the country and financial transactions worth 317.4 million dollars have been stopped in accordance with the prohibitions defined by the Act on Special Economic Measures in Relation to the Russian Federation.
