“Who, if not the perpetrator of this unlawful war, should bear responsibility for Ukraine’s restitution?”

A group of Nobel laureates authored an open letter, calling on countries to release an estimated EUR 300 billion in frozen Russian assets in order to rebuild Ukraine.

"As of 24 February 2025, the unlawful war of aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine WILL mark THE END OF ITS sad third anniversary, and will be entering its fourth year," the letter reads.

The letter states that tens of thousands of lives were lost in the war, with people displaced and forcibly deported to Russia.

"Russian war on Ukraine caused the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, with millions of civilians displaced internally and outside of Ukraine. People and families have experienced unimaginable pain, loss, and hardship," the authors write.

At the same time, they note that rebuilding Ukraine would be costly, asking, "who, if not the perpetrator of this unlawful war, should bear responsibility for restitution?"

They point out that an estimated EUR 300 billion frozen as a result of sanctions is currently held in accounts worldwide, but mainly in the EU and G7 countries, namely Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United States, and the United Kingdom, adding that this money continues to generate additional billions through interest. 

"We, the Nobel Laureates who have signed this appeal, call on these governments to release these funds from the Russian Central Bank to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine and compensation of war victims so that the country can be rapidly rebuilt after a peace agreement is reached," they write.

The letter was signed among others by Ukrainian Oleksandra Matviichuk who received the Nobel peace prize in 2022 and Polish anti-Soviet iconic politician Lech Walesa.