On 7 July, the House of Commons discussed the report “From Social Protection to Reparations for Ukraine”, which focuses on the experiences of civilian detainees affected by Russian aggression, and discussed the ways through which the UK could provide reparations to Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets.

The event was organised by the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, the Eastern Ukrainian Center for Civic Initiatives (EUCCI), the United Nations Association of the United Kingdom (UNA-UK), the New Lines Institute in Washington, and the human rights organisation REDRESS, with the support of several cross-party parliamentary groups in the British Parliament.

The issues were delivered by lead speakers: Volodymyr Shcherbachenko (EUCCI), Emily Prey (New Lines Institute), May Thompson (Ceasefire) and Olivia Dehnavi (REDRESS). The speakers emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach to reparations, the involvement of civil society and the importance of reorienting frozen Russian state assets to help victims.

Volodymyr Shcherbachenko, Head of EUCCI, focused on one of Russia’s most widespread and brutal war crimes — the illegal deprivation of liberty of civilians — and explained why former detainees need support.

“I don’t have enough time to elaborate on all the ways in which released civilian detainees envision all aspects of future reparations, but the prevailing view is clear: compensation for harm must come from the Russian Federation, which has brought pain and suffering into the lives of millions. Therefore, the idea of using frozen Russian assets both to deter Russian aggression with weapons and to support civilians who have suffered from Russian crimes reflects the views and aspirations of those who suffered. We also found that many people understand reparations not only as financial compensation, but also as the need for fundamental social and political changes that recognise the atrocities committed by the Russians and ensure that they are not repeated”, he emphasised.

The event was co-chaired by Labour MP Alex Sobel and Conservative Party representative Sir Iain Duncan Smith. A number of other MPs from both Houses of the British Parliament also took part in the presentation. British lawmakers expressed a common position that the UK government should be much more active in developing a practical mechanism for reparations, in particular through the use of frozen Russian state assets.

“The G7 countr”ies and the EU have frozen around $300 billion in Russian state assets, which is more than the total military aid that Europe and the US have provided to Ukraine since February 2022. Of this, approximately £25 billion is in the UK. I believe that the UK government should explore how these frozen assets can be legally seized and used to fund military efforts in Ukraine and to pay future reparations owed by Russia”, said Sir Iain Duncan Smith.