Council of Europe Calls for Mechanism to Channel Russian Assets Toward Ukraine Compensation Following ECHR Rulings

PACE Resolution on Russian Assets

According to Рубрика — Політика: On September 30, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution urging the creation of a legal framework to utilize frozen Russian state assets for compensating Ukraine based on European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgments. The resolution proposes establishing a mechanism under the Council of Europe’s authority to facilitate transferring these funds to Ukraine. The ECHR has already held Russia accountable for serious human rights violations in two interstate cases, though the exact compensation amount remains undetermined.

Current Status of Russian Assets

According to PACE, approximately €260 billion in assets belonging to the Russian Central Bank have been frozen since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with nearly €210 billion of that held within the European Union. At the end of September 2025, the European Commission recommended that EU member states use these frozen assets to finance a €140 billion loan package for Ukraine. However, the EU’s decision was postponed until December 2025 due to concerns from certain countries, including Belgium, which requested stronger safeguards and opposed providing Ukraine with a reparations loan.

In December 2025, it was announced that the United Kingdom plans to transfer £8 billion (over $10.6 billion) from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. PACE is urging member and observer states to promptly implement necessary legal and practical measures regarding Russian state assets within their jurisdictions.

“This should enable the transfer of assets to a funding mechanism once the ECHR determines compensation amounts in Ukraine’s interstate cases against Russia related to the war of aggression,” PACE states.

The resolution also emphasizes Russia’s unconditional legal obligation to comply with ECHR rulings concerning violations committed before September 16, 2022.

“This duty under international law does not diminish over time and cannot be overridden by Russian domestic legislation,” PACE stresses.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed the EU leaders’ decision to utilize frozen Russian assets in support of Ukraine, calling it a positive signal.

PACE’s resolution highlights the critical role of international cooperation in securing reparations for Ukraine due to Russia’s human rights abuses. Unlocking frozen assets for this purpose could mark a significant step toward addressing the damages caused by the aggression. It also reflects the international community’s firm stance on holding states accountable for breaches of international law.