US senators push Trump administration on Russian assets, letter says

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A radical of Republican and Democratic U.S. senators is pushing President Donald Trump's medication to transportation - and propulsion allies to transportation - much than $300 cardinal of seized Russian assets to assistance Ukraine, not conscionable usage the debt's involvement to enactment Kyiv.

"How does the Administration presumption utilizing each fiscal tools astatine its disposal to summation unit connected Russia to extremity the war?" the senators asked successful a missive sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and seen by Reuters connected Monday.

"Specifically, does the Administration judge that U.S. and EU-held assets should beryllium utilized arsenic leverage successful negotiations with Russia to bring an extremity to the war? If so, how?" the missive asked.

The missive was signed by Republicans Todd Young and Lindsey Graham, and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Tim Kaine.

The missive is simply a uncommon illustration of elder Republicans publically pressing the Trump medication to beryllium tougher with Moscow. Pro-Ukraine Republicans successful Congress person been mostly quiescent since Trump tilted U.S. argumentation much toward Russia, which started the warfare with its full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful 2022.

The State Department did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

The missive was sent connected Friday. It comes arsenic U.S. and Russian officials held talks successful Saudi Arabia connected Monday aimed astatine sealing a Black Sea maritime ceasefire woody earlier a wider ceasefire statement to extremity the three-year-long warfare successful Ukraine.

Members of the U.S. Congress person been calling for years for seized Russian assets to beryllium utilized to rebuild Ukraine, some to debar spending much American payer dollars connected the struggle and to enactment unit connected Moscow to scope a bid deal.

In their letter, the senators asked if the medication intends to make a strategy to promote the EU, G7 and different allies to leverage sovereign Russian assets. They besides asked if the medication would enactment Ukraine utilizing Russian sovereign assets nether U.S. power to acquisition defence equipment.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine successful 2022, the United States and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia's cardinal slope and concern ministry, blocking $300-$350 cardinal of sovereign Russian assets.

They are mostly European, U.S. and British authorities bonds held successful a European securities depository. Sources said lone astir $7 cardinal is held successful U.S. fiscal institutions.

POTENTIAL LEGAL CHALLENGES

European leaders privation to usage those assets to assistance rebuild Ukraine, but person yet to scope an statement connected however to debar ineligible challenges oregon acceptable a problematic planetary precedent, with respective options nether consideration.

European and U.S. officials person agreed to usage windfall profits from involvement connected the frozen Russian assets to backmost loans to Ukraine, but not the assets themselves. The lawmakers said they understood that the U.S. besides does not privation to prehend the assets themselves and said they "seek to recognize the Administration's presumption connected this issue."

Russia has said plans to usage the funds for Ukraine amounted to robbery, though sources told Reuters past period that Moscow could hold to utilizing assets frozen successful Europe for reconstruction but would importune portion of the wealth beryllium spent connected the one-fifth of the state that its forces control.

The U.S. Congress successful 2024 besides passed the "Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act," signed into instrumentality by erstwhile President Joe Biden that April. The authorities gave the U.S. president the authorization to transportation Russian assets seized successful the U.S. to Ukraine.

Washington has ne'er earlier seized cardinal slope assets from a state with which it is not astatine war.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; further reporting by Andrea Shalal;Editing by Don Durfee and Alistair Bell)