Lawrence Summers, Philip Zelikow and Robert Zoellick on why Russian reserves should be used to help Ukraine
Doing so would strengthen, not undermine, international law, they argue
LAST WEEK The Economist cautioned about how to use Russian assets to help Ukraine. We appreciate the invitation to make the case for what we believe can and should be done. Two of us are lawyers. Each of us has worked on problems of international law and knows the arguments in this case. We know that, as the Ukraine war wears on, the outcome may be determined by the balance of hope or despair as well as on the battlefield. The Ukrainian economy is in the intensive-care unit. But we face a unique circumstance. As Russia launched the largest act of international aggression since the second world war, it left enormous sums, at least $300bn-worth of dollars, euros, sterling and yen, in the law-abiding states that oppose this aggression.
More from By Invitation
Trumpism is becoming more pragmatic, argues Reihan Salam
But not all of the incoming president’s backers buy it
Time is not on Russia’s side, argues Finland’s foreign minister
Elina Valtonen calls for a lower oil-price cap and tougher measures against Russia’s shadow fleet
Oriana Skylar Mastro makes a case for paring America’s nukes
The political scientist explains why beefing up is bad China strategy
A new Iranian approach to regional security and prosperity, by M. Javad Zarif
Iran’s vice-president on how his country can make the region more secure and prosperous
America’s debt cannot keep stacking up, says Jeffrey Gundlach
The “King of Bonds” sees the risk of a debt restructuring with global repercussions
South Korea’s crisis highlights both fragility and resilience, writes Wi Sung-lac
The country is deeply polarised, but its living memory of military rule strengthens its commitment to democracy