The Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to award $500,000 worth of confiscated Russian funds to Ukraine as the country tries to fend off Kremlin aggression.
The United States plans to transfer nearly $500,000 of the seized Russian funds to Estonia and then to Ukraine. according to To Saturday’s Department of Justice press release. Estonia is receiving the funds first because “under the current authorities, direct transfers to Ukraine are not permitted due to the facts of this case.”
The funds were confiscated by the United States “following the collapse of an illegal procurement network that sought to import high-precision American machine tools used in the defense and nuclear proliferation fields into Russia.”
The transfer came after a bill that would have provided additional aid to Ukraine and other U.S. allies was stalled in Congress. The move marks the first time the United States has provided funds to a foreign ally solely for the purpose of supporting Ukraine. The funding is aimed at speeding up the assessment of damage sustained to Ukraine’s electricity distribution and electricity systems.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco: “This is a progressive step toward justice and recovery.” Said. “But it is a necessary step. And it opens a new path in the fight against Russia’s ongoing atrocities.”
According to Monaco, the United States has blocked an attempt to export jig grinders, a tool that could develop weapons for nuclear proliferation activities or defense. The transfer is the second time the Justice Department’s Kleptocapture Task Force has provided Russian assets to Kiev after confiscation.
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