While the necessity of supporting Ukraine, at all costs, should be obvious to all (it’s the best long-term investment the West can make against an expansionist Russia), it is a hard sell to electorates. But there is another way of doing this — we can make Putin pay. Even the populists in Europe and the U.S. would struggle to argue with that.
The West holds $400bn of Russian assets, either frozen or immobilized For comparison, all Western aid so far, including financial, humanitarian, and military, totals about $350bn.
I do not think simply holding the assets will be enough. The owners of the seized assets have already responded by doing nothing.
I think we should start very slowly (but loudly) spending the seized assets to fund Ukraine. As luxury yachts start getting auctioned off for ammo crates, I think the oligarchs will become the most motivated they can be. If they still don’t act, then they should lose those assets anyway. Fuck 'em.
Definitely start auctioning off those stuff for cash.
And also agree that symbolic actions should be taken.
However, if we just transfer the money to Ukraine, there is a real risk that 10 years down the line the courts will rule against the transfer. And then the EU will be on the hook to compensate Russian oligarchs.
Whereas if they are transferred to a democratic Russia, then Russian courts will have jurisdiction over the property of Russian citizens, which is much less likely to backfire.
This is the way, just because of some crazy “president” you shouldnt fuck the people, and this is a good way to “grab 'em by the balls” I mean the oligarchs