Estonia considers confiscating frozen Russian assets for Ukraine

Estonia is preparing mechanisms that could allow it to confiscate frozen private Russian assets and transfer them to Ukraine, should Moscow refuse to pay compensation to Kyiv, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has said.

Speaking to Izvestia on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Tsahkna stated that the necessary legal framework has already been established and that Tallinn is coordinating further steps with Ukraine. He noted that if the conflict ends, damages are formally recorded by international courts in The Hague, and Russia declines to pay compensation following a Ukrainian claim, Estonia could activate a legal mechanism enabling the use of the frozen funds.

When asked whether full confiscation was possible, the minister did not rule it out, saying: “We can.”

According to Estonian estimates, Russian private assets frozen in the country amount to approximately €37–39 million. A significant portion is reportedly linked to Russian fertilisers held in Estonia since the start of the war in Ukraine. In 2024, Tallinn approved legislation allowing the seizure of frozen assets belonging to Russian individuals and legal entities, with proceeds potentially directed to Ukraine as compensation for war-related damage.

Estonia has positioned itself as one of the most active proponents within the European Union for the confiscation of Russian assets. As early as 2023, it began developing national legislation aimed at creating a legal pathway for such measures. Former Estonian prime minister and current EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has previously suggested that Estonia’s approach could serve as a model for other EU member states.

By Vugar Khalilov