On 15 May, the Estonian parliament approved a law allowing the use of frozen Russian assets to compensate Ukraine for damages, Postimees reports.
The bill was supported by 65 deputies, while three opposed it.
As the head of the Constitutional Commission, Hendrik Johannes Terras, explained, the creation of legal regulation for the use of frozen Russian assets is a complex task that is being undertaken by several allied countries and international organisations, and Estonia is playing a pioneering role in implementing this idea.
"Russia is an aggressor country, and compensation for the damage it has caused cannot be borne by Ukraine and its allies. Russia is responsible for causing the damage," said Terras.
The MP noted that through this law, Estonia proposes a mechanism that "provides for the responsibility of those people and companies that are directly involved in the aggression or contribute to it".
The government-initiated draft law on amendments to the law on international sanctions and amendments to other relevant official documents represents a domestic mechanism to ensure Russia's financial responsibility for the aggression.
The amendments to the legislation allow for the use of assets frozen by sanctions of individuals and companies that have contributed to Russia's illegal actions. These assets will become a kind of advance payment for the damage caused.
According to the law, in order to make a decision to use the property as an advance payment, it is necessary that the damage was caused by illegal actions that have been proven, and the victim state has submitted a corresponding claim to the aggressor. Estonia must also receive an application from the injured party, and the connection of the property owner to the illegal actions must be proved.