U.S. senators call on Trump to give Ukraine $5 bln of frozen Russian assets

The Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Republican J. Risch, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican R. Wicker, and Republican Senators J. Kennedy and R. Scott appealed to US President D. Trump to use his powers regarding the $5 billion in Russian assets frozen in the United States in accordance with the REPO law, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna reported on a Telegram channel on Thursday.

"Senators state that despite the United States' consistent and large-scale efforts to stop Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, Russia continues the war and does not demonstrate readiness for a peaceful settlement," Stefanishyna reported on Telegram. She added that, under these conditions, "ensuring Ukraine's ability to defend itself aligns with the United States' strategic interests."

"Senators also note that the seizure of frozen Russian sovereign assets and their redirection to support Ukraine is legally justified and morally warranted," Stefanishyna reported.

The Ukrainian ambassador emphasized that the senators' proposals "would strengthen Ukraine's position in negotiations, ensure continuous defense support with minimal burden on American taxpayers, and stimulate expansion of the U.S. defense industry's production capacity."

"Thank you, senators! In other words, the Foreign Affairs and Armed Forces Committees of the U.S. Senate do not believe that any decisions should be postponed while the negotiation process is ongoing!" Stefanishyna wrote on Telegram.