On the morning of Jan. 2, as the world began the first working day of 2024, Russia hit Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones. The world saw reports on the number of launches, along with photos and video of the damage caused. This news was unlikely to tear people in Europe and the United States away from their coffee or plans for the day. After all, the war is somewhere far away and the violence has become background noise for those who aren't living it.
Like all residents of Kyiv, I heard the air-raid sirens and a message from our Air Force about Russian bombers approaching the front lines. The missiles would fly very quickly from there, giving us only a few minutes to hide. I didn't have even that time.
I heard an explosion, and then time seemed to stretch into an eternity as shards of glass struck me. The windows of my home had burst from the force of the blast caused by one of the 500 rockets that Russia fired at Ukrainian cities in just five days. After that, everything was a blur, though I remember my neighbors looking for each other, trying to find out who was injured and how badly—all while trying to put out the fires.
After the first shock, pragmatism. While Jan. 2 was relatively warm for the Ukrainian winter—only 1 degree below zero Celsius—the forecast called for -18 in the next week. Despite their destruction, these apartments needed to be made livable before then.
We removed the broken glass. It was collected in seven bags. For me, these bags became a symbol of what the "peace" offered by Russia looks like.
My windows are now covered with plastic wrap, and the facade of the building is still mutilated, though the damage isn't critical. The injuries from the debris were minor. In a week, the new glass will be installed and, luckily, I have enough to pay for it. But not everyone can. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian families, including my neighbors, lost everything. In one instant, a missile, a drone, a projectile changed their lives. The world needs to see these people, their broken destinies, their need to figure out some way to live now.
This situation is not one that should be routine for anyone, anywhere.
Thankfully, Ukraine provides compensation for destroyed housing. It takes time and, of course, these amounts are not enough to restore what was lost. Our country is at war, the primary needs are troops and weapons. It all makes sense. According to the United Nations, World Bank, and the Ukrainian government, our country needs more than $400 billion for recovery.
And here I will speak not as one of the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians affected by Russian aggression, but as a politician. The West should confiscate and transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian government, their total value reaches $500 billion. This money will not only be enough to rebuild what was destroyed, but it will help us defeat the enemy.
In addition to financial punishment, more effective sanctions are necessary. In 2023, imports of military components to Russia decreased by only 9 percent, and dual-purpose goods—which can be used for both civilian and military purposes—by 28.5 percent compared to the period before the full-scale invasion, according to a study by the KSE Institute and Yermak-McFaul Group. In 2022, after the initial introduction of sanctions, there were significant drops in imports. However, over the past year, the aggressor has adapted supply chains and was able to resume procurement.
No new package of economic restrictions will hit the aggressor where it hurts until all the previous ones work effectively.
It's terrifying when 500 enemy missiles fly at you. You don't know what will happen next: will the anti-aircraft defenses succeed? Or will the bombardment succeed, striking you or your loved ones? When your whole life burns around you after a missile hit, it freezes you. But fear should not paralyze us, it should strengthen our resolve to do more.
We must concentrate our efforts on seizing Russia's overseas assets, and we expect a shift in this direction at the G7. The fact is that $500 billion would make life easier not only for Ukrainians but also for the taxpayers of our partners. Because the Kremlin's frozen funds are 10 times more than the aid package for Ukraine from the European Union, which would be delivered over four years—if it weren't blocked by Hungary. And it is four times more than the aid from the U.S., over which the Republicans and Democrats in Congress are breaking spears.
Making this crucial decision to distribute Russian assets will bring our victory closer and hurt the aggressor. We have no other choice.
Kira Rudik is a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and leader of the Golos Party.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
