Sikorski says frozen Russian assets will fund Ukraine and Europe's defence

At the Europe Future Forum in Warsaw, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced that frozen Russian state assets, amounting to more than €200 billion, will never be handed back to Russia and can be redirected toward Ukraine's reconstruction and as a deterrent against further aggression. He argued that these funds, while insufficient to secure victory, are essential for Ukraine to endure the war.

Sikorski warned that the cessation of hostilities would not eliminate the Russian threat and called on Europe to maintain robust defence capabilities. Citing Poland's 7% of GDP defence budget, he emphasized that collective security, not isolated national spending, is crucial, noting NATO members have doubled defence outlays since 2014 and could exceed €800 billion annually by 2035. He pointed out that the combined military budgets of the ten Council of the Baltic Sea States members already surpass Russia's in peacetime, and urged investment in long-range strike, AI-driven analysis, cyber tools, drones and counter-drone systems.