Media: Berlin opposes seizure of Russian assets

The Wall Street Journal notes that Germany fears this will set a precedent in international law and affect itself.

Germany has been one of the strongest opponents of attempts to seize some of the Kremlin’s nearly $300 billion in fixed assets. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Media reports say Germany fears that seizing, rather than freezing, these funds “could set a precedent and spark new lawsuits against them for World War II crimes.”

Demands for further reparations during World War II dominated Germany for decades, sometimes worsening relations with its neighbors. After World War II, Berlin paid reparations to the Allied states and the Soviet Union for Germany’s war of aggression. Since 1952, Germany has given more than $90 billion to Holocaust survivors and their families, according to Jewish organizations.

However, recently there have been renewed calls for more reparations. In particular, Poland has sought compensation of $1.3 trillion since 2022, and Greece has requested more than $300 billion since 2019.

Italian courts have also awarded restitution payments to families of work victims in recent years. Several Italian courts then attempted to confiscate German state assets, including real estate in Italy owned by German schools and cultural, historical and archaeological institutions.

“Berlin maintains that international law prohibits private individuals from suing states in foreign courts and that state assets are protected from confiscation. But Berlin officials say that the violation of this principle in the case of Russia would undermine Germany’s long-standing legal position,” the media report said.

Germany also maintains that Russian assets should be left intact in order to use them as leverage in any negotiations to end the war and return the occupied territories.