US Senate panel backs 'big hammer' plan to seize Russian assets to help Ukraine

Reuters ^ | January 24, 2024 | Patricia Zengerle

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

A U.S. Senate committee approved legislation on Wednesday that would help set the stage for the United States to confiscate Russian assets and hand them over to Ukraine for rebuilding after the destruction of the nearly two-year-long war.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 20 to 1 in favor of the unprecedented "Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act."

If it were to pass the full Senate and House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Joe Biden, as expected, the act would pave the way for Washington's first-ever seizure of central bank assets from a country with which it is not at war.

Senator Ben Cardin, the Democratic foreign relations committee chairman, was optimistic about the bill becoming law, noting that it has broad support, from both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and House, as well as from Biden's administration.

"Ukraine is on the verge of being overrun by Russia if we do not give them the help that they need... and we all know that it will not end with Ukraine," he said, before the committee voted. The House Foreign Affairs Committee has passed a similar bill, also with overwhelming bipartisan support. Cardin said he expected the Democratic-majority Senate and Republican-majority House would be able to resolve the differences between the two bills.

The EU, United States, Japan and Canada froze some $300 billion of Russian central bank assets in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Only about $5 billion to $6 billion are in the United States, with most held in Europe, and most of those in Belgium's Euroclear central securities depositary.

"This is intended to be a big hammer. It's intended to be a very new way of attacking a country that does not behave itself," Republican Senator Jim Risch said.

[linMcHlp]

Posted by Freeper libh8er on 07/17/2023:

Putin’s manifesto from August 2021: "An English translation is on Kremlin.ru. In it he says Ukraine is not a country. It’s always been a part of Russia. That he wanted to annex Ukraine was not in question; the only question was of timing. Biden’s bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan provided him that opportunity."

[bimboeruption]

>The intention for the ‘image’ of a gray rock is simply a reminder to BE KIND rather than to RESPOND IN KIND.

Ultimately, peace and kindness can be achieved on FR threads.<

My rock looks kinder than yours...

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

“Just focus on the rock”
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4213087/posts?page=133#133

Your anthropomorphism of the rock does feature an inanimate object with a human-like face. However, you miss the point to avoid the approach of Gray-rocking.

The gray rock is just a reminder to ignore the negative commenters as a tactic to deal with conflict and abusive, manipulative behavior.

The pure intention for the ‘image’ of a gray rock is simply a reminder to BE KIND rather than to RESPOND IN KIND.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4213087/posts?page=137#137

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

bimboeruption let's begin new!

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

These are the countries that were invaded by Russia in the last 100 years.

Ukraine
Georgia
Afghanistan
Czechoslovakia
Hungary
Japan
Germany
Croatia
Slovakia
Bulgaria
Jugoslavia
Albania
Romania
Iran
Finland
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Poland

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

“Countries Russia/USSR have invaded” included in the map that showed exactly that.

In the image, different countries were colored in signifying that they had either been invaded by Russia or that Russia had fought within that country.

Countries marked in red showed that at some point throughout history, Russia had invaded or occupied. These include France, Germany, Iran and Japan

[Mashood]

Sugar Daddy to the rescue?

[linMcHlp]

bttt