The damage caused to the Ukrainian economy from the war with Russia is at least $700 billion. The exact amount can only be determined after the end of the war. Every day, Russian troops destruct everything in the occupied territories. Therefore, the transfer of arrested Russian assets to Ukraine looks like an absolutely logical and natural decision.
Russia is consistently depleting Ukraine’s resources, industrial and economic potential. It is difficult to find examples of such a barbaric plunder of the country in modern history. Russians export everything from Ukraine, even Ukrainian black soil, which is sold in shops and shopping malls throughout Russia. In the occupied territory of the Kherson region, dominated by steppe landscape, forests are cut and removed from poor forest planting, which act as a barrier that prevents the desertification of the region. This is the demonstrative sabotage of the occupiers. Russia has vast areas of forests and arable land, but exports from Ukraine even what it has. Enormous damage was caused to the industrial infrastructure and housing stock of Ukraine. At least 150,000 houses were partially or completely destroyed.
It is necessary to develop a legal mechanism for transferring the arrested Russian funds to Ukraine. Together with the criminal process that is formed, it can be used against Russia in The Hague. The Kremlin must answer for all its crimes on the territory of Ukraine and compensate for all damage caused. It must be deprived of the opportunity to use its foreign assets to war against Ukraine.