14:27 11-09-2025

EU Cannot Legally Seize Russian Assets Without Declaring War

RusPhotoBank

Economist Anton Lyubich warns the EU cannot legally hand frozen Russian assets to Kyiv, saying seizure without war declaration could be seen as casus belli.

Economist Anton Lyubich argued that the European Union lacks any legal grounds to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. He stated that for Brussels to do so, it would first need to declare war on Moscow.

According to Lyubich, there are only two legitimate ways such assets could be taken. One would be if Moscow itself decided to use them at its own discretion. The other would require states seeking control over Russian capital to formally declare war against Russia.

He stressed that international law provides no other justification for violating the immunity of sovereign property. In his view, any attempt to seize Moscow’s assets could serve as a casus belli-a pretext for the start of a full-scale military conflict.

Lyubich also noted that reparations to Kyiv would only be possible after a peace treaty is signed. He added that European states have no right to confiscate Russian assets, as they are not parties to the conflict.