Reinforcing the Legal Framework for Seizing Frozen Russian Assets

The UK has an important opportunity to strengthen sanctions against russia while supporting Ukraine. It has frozen a substantial amount of russian assets, but critical challenges remain, including: lack of transparency in distinguishing between state and private assets in reporting; absence of comprehensive legislation enabling the seizure of frozen russian assets; no dedicated trust mechanism to preserve and grow these assets; no unified management standards to prevent asset value deterioration; and no legal framework for converting frozen assets into permanent support for Ukraine. Without decisive action, these valuable resources may remain underutilized in the critical effort to support Ukraine. The following recommendations provide a systematic approach to addressing these gaps.