Estonian President Alar Karis officially enacted a law on Thursday that allows Russian assets frozen under sanctions to be used for reparations payments to Ukraine.
The measure was approved by the EU and NATO Baltic country’s parliament in Tallinn earlier this month.
It allows the assets of Russian companies and individuals who have been proven to have contributed to military aggression to be used as compensation for the damage caused by the Russian invasion.
Karis admitted in a statement that the confiscation of assets due to involvement in military aggression raises unresolved legal questions.
However, he said that parliament must be able to make political decisions even in such a gray area.
Critics of the law argued that it may be unconstitutional and that its implementation would be difficult and time-consuming.
Estonia is the first European country to pass such a law.
“Whatever one thinks of the solution chosen in Estonia, there is no doubt that we need to find effective ways to guarantee the right of victims of assault to compensation from those who caused the damage,” said Karis.
Due to legal concerns and fears of retaliatory measures from Moscow, many EU states are showing restraint when it comes to using Russian assets.
So far, the EU has only managed to agree to transfer interest income from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.
