For over two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, debates have been ongoing as to whether Russia’s state assets frozen (or ‘immobilised’) across the G7 should be transferred to Ukraine. Despite the G7’s commitment to the principle that Russia must pay for the damage caused, debates continue as to whether transferring US$350 billion of its foreign currency reserves frozen in the West would be lawful as well as politically and economically prudent. So far, these discussions have resulted in pending legislative proposals in multiple jurisdictions, including the US, UK, EU and Canada, but no definitive solution.

This 2-hour hybrid event brings together leading experts to debate the lawfulness and prudence of transferring frozen Russian state assets to Ukraine. Structured around two panels (‘policy’ and ‘law’), this event will provide an informed and balanced analysis of the key issues that governments need to take into account.

Participants

Moderator

Dr Erica Moret (Geneva Graduate Institute)

Policy Panel

Chair: Prof Thomas Biersteker (Geneva Graduate Institute)

• Prof Allan Rock (former Minister of Justice of Canada)
• Prof Philip Zelikow (Hoover Institution)
• Rachel Ziemba (Center for a New American Security)

Legal Panel

Chair: Dr Anton Moiseienko (Australian National University)

• Dr Tom Grant (Cambridge University)
• Prof Ingrid Brunk (Vanderbilt Law School)
• Dr Bart Szewczyk (Covington & Burling Brussels)

Reading material

Law

• Tom Grant, ‘Multilateral Action Model on Reparations’, New Lines Institute (Oct. 2022)
• Ingrid Brunk, ‘Countermeasures and the Confiscation of Russian Central Bank Assets’, Lawfare (May 2023)
• Anton Moiseienko, ‘Sanctions, Confiscation and the Rule of Law’, Revue Européenne du Droit (May 2023)

Policy

• Lawrence H. Summers, Philip D. Zelikow and Robert B. Zoellick, ‘The moral and legal case for sending Russia’s frozen $300 billion to Ukraine’, Washington Post (Mar. 2022)

The event is organised by the Australian National University’s College of Law and the Geneva International Sanctions Network at the Graduate Institute in Geneva.