It was Biden's administration that froze the assets, FIJI
Posted on: August 16, 2025 at 18:37:03 CT
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The Biden administration, along with allies in the G7 and EU, froze approximately $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, the US only holds around $4-5 billion of these assets, with the vast majority being in Europe, primarily in Belgium's Euroclear financial institution.
Key actions and developments:
Freezing: The assets were frozen, rendering them inaccessible to Russia, but Russia technically remains the owner.
REPO Act: In April 2024, President Biden signed the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians (REPO) Act, which authorized the seizure of Russian assets within US jurisdiction, contingent upon G7 cooperation.
ERA Loan: In June 2024, the G7 and EU agreed to the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan, providing $50 billion to Ukraine, to be repaid using the interest generated by the frozen Russian assets. The US disbursed its $20 billion share of the loan before the end of the Biden administration.
EU Action: The EU has also taken steps to use the profits generated by the frozen assets. In February 2024, the European Council decided to set aside the "extraordinary revenues" generated by these assets. They subsequently ruled that institutions holding Russian assets must transfer at least 99.7% of the annual net profits from those assets to the EU biannually, with 90% of the funds directed towards military aid for Ukraine through the European Peace Facility.
Debate over Seizure: While the US and Canada have been open to outright seizure, European nations, particularly those holding the majority of the assets like Germany and France, have been hesitant due to concerns about international law and potential retaliatory measures from Russia.
Russian Response: Russia has threatened retaliatory seizures of Western assets in Russia and has already confiscated assets from some European companies.
In essence: The Biden administration, in coordination with allies, froze a significant amount of Russian assets. While the US passed legislation to allow for seizure of assets within its jurisdiction, the preferred approach globally has been to use the interest generated by the frozen assets to fund loans and support for Ukraine, rather than outright seizure of the principal.