EU’s Kallas says Russia won’t get frozen assets back without paying reparations

By Reuters 30 August 2025, 9:13 am

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Kaja Kallas, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice president of the European Commission talks to journalists before the EU-Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial Meeting in Brussels on July 14, 2025. (NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP)

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says it is not possible to imagine giving back Russian assets frozen inside the bloc due to the war in Ukraine unless Moscow has paid reparations.

“We can’t possibly imagine that … if … there is a ceasefire or peace deal that these assets are given back to Russia if they haven’t paid for the reparations,” she tells reporters before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen.