US does not plan to return seized assets of Russian Oligarchs: NSA Jake Sullivan

United States does not plan to return the seized assets of the Russian Oligarchs, Biden administration’s National Security advisor Jake Sullivan asserted on Friday, adding that those assets were frozen as a part of the Western sanctions against Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. "Our goal is not to return them. Our goal is to use them better than in this way," Sullivan iterated, speaking at an event at the Economic Club of Washington to reporters. He was responding to whether the US government plans to return to the Russian Oligarchs the detained assets like expensive yachts and their properties. 

US national security advisor’s remarks came just a day after a Royal court in the Channel Island of Jersey froze $7bn in assets linked to Russian Oligarch and Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich. Island’s police launched a search operation into the premises “suspected to be connected to the business activities of Roman Abramovich”. European Union had already imposed sanctions on the Oligarch as a part of a new package of measures targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s close allies. 55-year-old has also been sanctioned by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.

Assets of several other Russian Oligarchs seized in EU, elsewhere

Assets of several other Russian Oligarchs have similarly been seized in Europe and elsewhere in the Western nations. Just recently, Fiji Police seized a luxury yacht owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin's oligarch and senator Suleiman Kerimov on Fiji islands. The police started interrogating the crew members of the yacht, Amadea, owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov. The seizure of the yacht has been confirmed by Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho, Commissioner of Police. Meanwhile a second superyacht owned by the Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Abramovich docked in a resort in southwestern Turkey that hasn't imposed any sanctions on Russia yet.

A private DHA news agency said the Bermuda-registered Eclipse docked at a port in the resort of Marmaris, amid international efforts to freeze assets belonging to top Russian businessmen linked to Russian President Putin. Italian authorities have also separately seized a mega-yacht belonging to Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichnko. In an online statement, the country’s finance police said the vessel was one of the largest mega yachts in the world and was worth 530 million Euros or $578 million. Named ‘SY A’, the yacht was in storage at the port of Trieste when it was seized.