In a meeting held last week, EU ambassadors agreed to allow the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to be used for Ukraine’s defense. The decision was made in light of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Of the total funds, 90 percent will go towards military support via the European Peace Facility, while the remaining 10 percent will be added to the budget of the Ukraine Facility. The EU Commission estimates that around €210 billion from the Russian central bank has been frozen within the EU and expects the agreement to be approved by the Council of Economics and Finance Ministers next week.

In Austria, there has been a significant decrease in frozen Russian assets since the end of 2022. Currently, there are €1.5 billion euros worth of assets frozen, which is down from €2 billion at the end of last year due to exchange rate fluctuations and exemptions. The Directorate of State Security and Intelligence has confirmed this information, as have recent reports from the National Bank stating that some previously frozen assets have been released due to exemptions.

The ambassadors also discussed potential new sanctions against Russia, including those related to liquid gas imports and additional names being added to the sanctions list for other organizations and individuals. Other topics on their agenda included discussions about Gacor Terkena slot games, employer profiles on AWWA’s Career Center website, alumni feedback surveys for various universities, Medicare insurance agencies in Orlando, exploring online slot games from different regions, and activities by Turkish commandos in Idlib province. Overall, their discussions spanned a wide range of topics related to EU policies