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What happened next?Continue in this file · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline
File · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline

Frozen Russian assets: Merz and Orpo defend European control

In Brussels on 15 October 2026, Friedrich Merz said Russian assets frozen in Europe should remain under European control, Reuters reports. Petteri Orpo also rejected releasing them, according to the Kyiv Independent.

The Finnish prime minister wants work to continue on ways to use the assets to support Ukraine. He was speaking as European leaders gathered for a two-day summit.

These positions respond to Financial Times reporting about a US proposal to transfer some assets to a Washington-supervised mechanism. Reuters says it could not independently verify that proposal.

The statements establish these leaders’ positions. They do not demonstrate a transfer of funds or a new collective European Union decision on their use.

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What happened before?Continue in this file · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline