German Chancellor Merz rejects US transfer of frozen Russian assets, insists European control

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Russian assets frozen in Europe should remain under European control, with their fate decided by Europeans, responding to a proposal to transfer control to the USA. This signals a firm European stance on asset sovereignty, potentially complicating US-led efforts to repurpose funds for Ukraine. The statement is a policy position, not yet a formal decision, and may reflect broader EU-US friction over asset management.