The document, if adopted, will oblige the Ministers of Justice, Finance, as well as the Secretary of State to send to Congress a report outlining the plan for the application of new powers
WASHINGTON, June 8. /tass/. Senators from the Democratic and Republican parties of the United States presented a bill on Thursday that will allow the US Justice Ministry to transfer a number of confiscated Russian assets to Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of one of the authors of the initiative, Senator Joe Manchin (Democrat from West Virginia).
"This bipartisan bill will allow the Ministry of Justice to expand its ability to confiscate Russian assets and send them directly to Ukraine to ensure defense and reconstruction work. I intend to bring this bill to the [Senate] approval to confirm our long-term commitment to the Ukrainian people and our leading role in the fight to protect democracy," Manchin said.
As explained in the press service of the legislator, at the moment the US Department of Justice can transfer to Ukraine only assets confiscated as a result of violations of sanctions related to Russia. The only time these powers were used was when the Minister of Justice - US Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered to send $5.4 million, which was confiscated from the founder of the Tsargrad TV channel Konstantin Malofeev, to the needs of Ukraine, the document says.
At the same time, the initiative will allow the Ministry of Justice to transfer to Ukraine assets confiscated as a result of violations of a wider range of economic restrictions, such as export controls against Russia and Belarus in connection with a special military operation in Ukraine. In addition, the bill will oblige the Ministers of Justice, Finance, as well as the Secretary of State to send a report to Congress outlining the plan for the application of new powers.
As the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said earlier, Moscow considers the US confiscation of Malofeev's assets an undisguised robbery for political reasons. Thus, according to her, the United States authorities have set a precedent for the confiscation of funds from unwanted foreign citizens, contrary to their own laws and fundamental principles guaranteeing the inviolability of private property, through dubious legal tricks and manipulations. Zakharova noted that everyone who uses American financial instruments from countries declared hostile by Washington has once again had the opportunity to make sure that talk about guarantees of deposits and investments is nothing more than an empty phrase. She also pointed out that the mechanism of theft of other people's property, judging by the actions of the American administration, is being put on stream by Washington.
