Estonian Prime Minister Kristian Michal has proposed financing Ukraine's reconstruction with tariffs on Russian imports. Moreover, he is demanding tighter visa restrictions for Russians involved in the war.
Points of attention
- All frozen Russian assets will not be able to fully cover all needs during Ukraine's reconstruction.
- That is why Kyiv's allies must look for additional sources of funding.
Russia must pay for Ukraine's reconstruction
Michal draws the world's attention to the fact that the cost of restoring Ukraine's destroyed infrastructure and destroyed cities already reaches hundreds of billions of euros, and the war is not even over yet.
Against this background, the Prime Minister of Estonia recalled that Europe has already imposed sanctions, banned many Russian products, and introduced duties on grain and fertilizers.
Despite all these efforts, official Brussels has still not raised rates on goods allowed for import with the clear aim of helping Ukraine.
According to Mihad, the very idea of using trade policy for security purposes remains controversial in the EU.
We need to impose tariffs on Russian goods to compensate for the damage caused. This is being discussed in various circles and at various meetings: various types of tariffs on Russian goods could finance the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Kristan Michal
Prime Minister of Estonia
What is important to understand is that 7 of Kyiv's allies in the European Union have already called for the introduction of tariffs on Russian products, such as steel and fertilizers.
However, this initiative failed to become part of the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia.
