The United States and Estonia will transfer nearly $500,000 in forfeited Russian funds to Ukraine, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Estonian Secretary General Tõnis Saar made the announcement Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. The U.S. forfeited the money “following the breakup of an illegal procurement network attempting to import into Russia a high-precision, U.S.-origin machine tool with uses in the defense and nuclear proliferation sectors,” according to the Justice Department. Separately, a Latvian citizen pleaded guilty Wednesday to violating U.S. export laws and regulations in connection with the procurement scheme.
The U.S. is not authorized to transfer the money directly to Ukraine, according to the release, so it is sending the money to Estonia, which will forward it instead.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the unwavering resolve of the United States and our Estonian partners to cut off [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin’s access to the western technologies he relies on to wage an illegal war against Ukraine,” Monaco said. “This step for justice and restoration blazes a new trail toward combating Russia’s ongoing brutality. The Department of Justice will continue pursuing creative solutions to ensure the Ukrainian people can respond and rebuild.”
The U.S. has never made such a transaction with a foreign ally for the express purpose of assisting Ukraine, according to the release. It is the second time the DOJ’s Task Force KleptoCapture has made confiscated Russian funds available to Ukraine, following a $5.4 million transfer to the State Department to support Ukrainian veterans last year.
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The transfer comes as Ukrainian aid remains in limbo in Congress. The Senate passed a $95 billion bill earlier this week, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters Tuesday that he would “certainly oppose it.”
Following the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, however, Johnson said the U.S. and its partners must use “every means available to cut off Putin’s ability to fund his unprovoked war in Ukraine.”
