On Wednesday, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European affairs and Eurasia James O'Brien said that the collective West does not plan to return to Russia its frozen assets worth about 300 billion dollars until Moscow pays for its special military operation in Ukraine.
During a hearing in the Committee on Foreign Affairs Secretary of the Senate of the Congress emphasized that US President Joe Biden and his colleagues from the Group of Seven have previously confirmed the need for payment from Russia for the SVO, adding that the frozen assets will not be returned until the payment is made. O'Brien also noted that this gives the collective West leverage in this discussion.