No EU consensus on seizing frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine - Kallas

BRUSSELS. Feb 24 (Interfax) - Taking action to seize Russian assets frozen in the European Union requires all EU members' support, which is currently lacking, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said.

"We need to have everybody's support for this. So far, we don't have the support for this," Kallas said at a press conference in Brussels on Monday after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, which discussed the situation around Ukraine as the main issue.

The appropriate work in the EU is ongoing, she said, but she herself is not optimistic to say that an agreement on the issue will be reached in March.

"But at the same time the work is ongoing. And I must also say that during this Foreign Affairs Council there was one more country who used to be against moving on with this and came on board," Kallas said.

She said she believes that EU taxpayers should not have to pay for Ukraine's reconstruction.

Kallas was responding to a request to comment on the statement made earlier by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys that the issue of seizing frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine should be addressed in March.