How to put Russia’s frozen assets to work for Ukraine

With America’s House of Representatives denying aid for Ukraine, other Western politicians are hunting for an alternative source of funds. Their eyes have settled on assets worth €260bn ($282bn) belonging to Russia that have been frozen since its full-scale invasion two years ago. There is a growing clamour in support of the moral and practical case for using this money to help pay for Ukraine’s defence. On February 27th Janet Yellen, America’s treasury secretary, called for the value of these assets to be unlocked. But most of the portfolio sits in Belgium, and the European Union has been divided about the wisdom—and legality—of putting it to use.