The United Kingdom and Europe should stand up to Donald Trump, said British politician and leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey on Thursday after the US President lashed out at Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he was prolonging the "killing field" after he pushed back on ceding Crimea to Russia.
"This is what we all feared. The United States and Russia bullied brave President Zelensky into a terrible deal. Time for the United Kingdom and Europe to stand up to Trump and seize the Russian assets so we can go it alone," said British politician and Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey.
When Putin invaded Ukraine, the Central Bank of Russia held considerable assets in the central banks of Europe, the UK, and to a very limited degree, the USA, according to a report in the Guardian.
“The European Union estimates that some 210 billion euros ($220.58 billion) of the frozen money is held in the bloc, mainly in Euroclear, a Brussels-based securities depository,” said the report, published in March.
This is $200 billion of Russian money in Europe and the UK that could be used to help Ukraine, Davey claimed.
Since the time that Putin did invade Ukraine, around $50 billion has been earned in various ways on those assets in Europe and other parts of the world. The value of Russian assets that have been seized by Western governments now stand at approximately $300 billion.
Former Prime Minister of Sweden also called out Trump for his statements.
"Now Trump says that 'nobody is asking Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory' at the same time as attacking Zelensky for not willing to do that. Is there any way to make sense of this? There used to be a clear distinction between serious diplomacy and incoherent rambling," said Carl Bildt.
Trump on Wednesday criticised Volodymyr Zelensky of harming peace negotiations, after the Ukrainian president said Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump claimed a deal to end the war was "very close", but that Zelensky's refusal to accept US terms "will do nothing but prolong" the conflict.
Trump called Ukraine President’s pushback “very harmful” to talks.
“This statement is very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that Crimea was “lost years ago and is not even a point of discussion.”
“Nobody is asking Zelensky to recognise Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote on social media.
Zelensky on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks set for Wednesday in London among US, European and Ukrainian officials.
“There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people…Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea. There's nothing to talk about here.” Zelensky wrote for the Wall Street Journal.
Ukraine has long said it will not give up Crimea, a southern peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after sending troops to overrun it.
Trump, who is set to travel to Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, told reporters that he did not know if he would meet with Zelensky or other European leaders to discuss the war while in Italy. He also said that has found dealing with Zelensky harder than dealing with the Russians.
Trump, who is set to travel to the Middle East next month, said it was “possible” that he could meet with Putin while in Saudi Arabia, but that it is more likely he will meet with the Russian leader soon after that trip.