The Telegraph: Europe Still Has A Map That Could Change The Course Of The War In Ukraine

• 5.12.2025, 9:56

It's time to put her to work.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin could become the first aggressor in history to be forced to finance the resistance to a war he himself started. Europe must show resolve and restore its relevance by confiscating Russia's frozen assets.

The Telegraph writes The Telegraph, pointing out that "the time has come" to seize Russia's state assets.

Nothing has shown the Europeans' weakness more than direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow over the fate of Ukraine. Having destroyed its armies and wasted money on welfare systems, Europe is paying dearly for its frivolity, the authors of the article note.

"Yet if European leaders want to restore their relevance, they still have one giant card to play," The Telegraph writes.

About 230 billion in Russian state assets are currently frozen in the continent's financial institutions, primarily in Brussels. This amount represents 140% of Ukraine's entire GDP and more than four times its defense budget. If Europe could confiscate these funds and transfer them to Ukraine, this would be what is called a "strategic effect", the authors of the publication note. That is, if Russian assets could be mobilized on such a scale and used to rearm and equip Ukraine, they could change the course of the war.

What's more, Putin would go down in history as the first aggressor to be forced to finance resistance to his own aggression, The Telegraph says. The Russian people would realize that their own resources are being used to buy bullets and missiles that kill their soldiers.