The Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) has developed and submitted to the central executive authorities a draft law establishing a moratorium on the recovery of seized funds to citizens and legal entities of the russian federation and the republic of belarus (as amendments to the Law on ARMA).
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the russian federation, ARMA has not returned a single penny to the enemy — despite intense pressure from lawyers representing the owners of the seized assets.
At present, this issue is governed by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. However, it is not ARMA alone that should be defending national interests — this matter must be regulated by law!
The draft law proposes a moratorium on the return of funds to individuals and entities that are either citizens of, or affiliated with, the russian federation.
In the widely discussed draft law No. 12374-d regarding the improving management efficiency, ARMA officially proposed a moratorium on the return of russian funds. However, the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy failed to take this initiative into account.
ARMA began forcibly recovering russian funds in 2023, and since then, those funds have been supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and replenishing the state budget.
ARMA’s effective management of confiscated Russian assets prompted the Cabinet of Ministers to adopt a resolution on the immediate transfer of these funds to the Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Armed Aggression — subject to a nationalization decision by the High Anti-Corruption Court.
As a result, in the first quarter of 2025, ARMA transferred UAH 2.3 billion to the Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Armed Aggression.
The adoption of this draft law will not only strengthen national policy but also increase budget revenues.
The draft law also preserves ARMA’s right to purchase domestic government bonds even after martial law is lifted, ensuring stable funding for Ukraine’s recovery.
“ARMA has already directed over UAH 8 billion to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This includes UAH 2.3 billion in russian funds transferred in 2025 to the Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Armed Aggression. We urge Members of Parliament to unite around this strategically important initiative. Enemy funds must work against the enemy!” — emphasized the Head of ARMA Olena Duma.
The draft law will also regulate the handling of monetary assets under ARMA’s management that are simultaneously subject to sanctions, helping to prevent the return of criminally derived funds to their previous owners.
