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Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, and the Foreign Ministers of Estonia and Latvia sent a joint letter to the G7 countries, urging them to use all Russia’s state assets to compensate for the damage caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine.

In the letter, the Baltic Foreign Ministers expressed their gratitude for the work already done by the EU and G7 in exploring options for using Russia’s immobilized state assets to rebuild and support Ukraine. They also called for continuing to work closely together with the European Union, its international partners, and allies in finding a legal solution for using all Russia’s state assets to compensate for the damage caused in Ukraine.

“Russian aggression against Ukraine is a brutal and blatant violation of the United Nations Charter and the rules-based international order. It is not a war waged against Ukraine only. If aggression is left unpunished and the aggressor does not have to compensate for the damage done, it will send a message that aggression pays off as has been Russia’s experience from the past,” the Baltic Foreign Ministers wrote in the letter.

The three Foreign Ministers emphasized their determination to raise the cost of aggression, help Ukraine win the war, and rebuild their country. According to them, support for Ukraine is an investment in international peace and security. The Baltic Foreign Ministers, therefore, support the use of Russia’s state assets to ensure Russia compensates for the destruction it has caused Ukraine.

According to the World Bank, the total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine will be at least $486 billion over the next decade, and the entire reconstruction could reach up to $1 trillion.

Joint letter of the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic states to the G7 countries