Congressman Cohen Calls for Confiscation of Russian Assets to Rebuild Ukraine

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), also known as the Helsinki Commission, today talked about political prisoners held by Russia and questioned expert witnesses at a hearing on “Making Russia Pay: Sovereign Asset Confiscation for Ukrainian Victory.”

Recently, Ranking Member Cohen, CSCE Chairman Joe Wilson (SC-02), and Senate Ranking Member Roger Wicker of Mississippi were joined by Commissioners Representative Marc Veasey (TX-33), Representative Michael Lawler (NY-17), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut in co-sponsoring the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act. This bicameral, bipartisan legislation, which would authorize the Secretary of State to provide assistance to Ukraine using confiscated Russian assets, has passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee and currently awaits floor votes in the House and Senate.

In his opening statement, Ranking Member Cohen said in part:

“I think what Russia is doing is in violation of international law and needs to be condemned at every opportunity possible. I think we need to pass REPO. We’ve passed some bills on oligarchs’ assets in the past Congress and those monies should also go to Ukraine to help rebuild it. What Putin is doing in destroying the country of Ukraine is an attempt at genocide. He’s destroyed a lot of cultural artifacts as well as necessary utilitarian structures and industries. So, we need to get the money there as quickly as possible and continue the war and supply the Ukrainians with the military they need to win this war, and they do need our support as well as European support, which they’ve been receiving.

“I want to take a minute here to talk about my (role) as the (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s) Special Representative on Political Prisoners. What Putin has done in taking (Alexei) Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza and putting them into gulags in Siberia and in solitary confinement…and depriving them of medical treatment they need, is putting their lives at risk, but it’s typical Putinesque behavior…He’s taken a Wall Street Journal reporter, he’s taken a lady from Radio Free Europe recently and detained them. They’re political prisoners as well. Russia is a horrible representative of the international community.”

See the entire opening statement here.

In his questions to witnesses, Ranking Member Cohen asked whether the Justice Department could seize Russia assets without the REPO law’s passage and asked about some technical aspects of international financial laws. See those exchanges here.

Witnesses at today’s hearing were:

• Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine;
• Ambassador Daniel Fried, Atlantic Council Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow;
• Paul Reichler, International Law Attorney, 11KBW;
• Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; and
• Yuliya M. Ziskina, Senior Legal Fellow, Razom for Ukraine

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