A special group within the EU will try to convert frozen Russian assets to support the reconstruction of Ukraine. Anders Ahnlid, director general at Kommerskollegium, is the Swede who leads the work. “It’s a big challenge,” he says. 300 billion US dollars – this much is estimated to be in public assets outside of Russia. Oligarchs’ businesses and other assets are estimated at $20 billion. It is this money that the EU wants to access in order to be able to rebuild Ukraine after the war. Anders Ahnlid’s group is tasked with finding out which assets are available where and finding methods for how to use these funds for the reconstruction. In order to succeed in its task, the group has some means to draw upon. – We have the 27 member species’ experts who sit in the group. We also have the expertise of the European Commission and it is very important. There is both financial, economic and legal expertise that we need to be able to navigate this jungle. In addition, we must cooperate with other parties outside the EU, above all the USA, Great Britain and Japan, he says. Heavy damage after brutal warfare There are different estimates of how much the reconstruction of Ukraine will cost. Today, it is estimated that it is 700 to 800 billion dollars. Anders Ahnlind believes that the group he leads will not be able to do enough to meet the need. – It is clear that Russia’s brutal warfare has caused enormous damage to Ukraine, says the Director General. In order to move forward properly, all member states must agree on what to do. In any case, what is common right now is that all heads of state and government have emphasized the importance of the work and want it to be intensified. – The EU must show that it can move forward, how, how far and in what way remains to be seen, says Anders Ahnlind.
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