The case for confiscating Russia's frozen assets to aid Ukraine

Russia's deputy foreign minister has warned the United States that Moscow could sever diplomatic relations if Washington confiscated frozen Russian assets. Russia said it would confiscate the income from frozen Western assets if the European Union acted on plans to give Ukraine the profits from Russian assets frozen after the invasion of Ukraine. Both the EU and the US are considering using the profits from about three- hundred- billion dollars of frozen Russian central bank reserves. We hear from lawyers making the case from both sides of the argument.

Also in the programme: We hear why, for the first time, Ukraine is celebrating Christmas on the same day as western nations; and we speak from Palestinian space engineer was part of the team that launched a helicopter to Mars, unable to help his elderly parents in Gaza.

Joining Shaun Ley on the programme are: Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Nataliya Vasilyeva, Middle East correspondent for The Telegraph.

Photo: At least two injured in drone attack on residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, December 22 2023 (Credits: OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA)