Make Russia Pay
The West has already frozen some $300 billion in Russian assets. Here’s the case for seizing them.
Updated at 1:06 p.m. ET on May 30, 2023
For months, the West has fretted over the prospect of paying for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Russia’s war has inflicted an estimated $400 billion in rebuilding costs, a tally that rises every day. Western leaders, already alarmed by inflation and the threat of recession, have understandably blanched over the bill.
But many of them are disregarding a solution that would cover most of Ukraine’s costs and help deter future aggression not only from Russia but from dictatorships around the world. A year ago, Western governments some $300 billion in state assets from Russia’s central bank. Now they could seize the funds and give them to Ukraine.
