Exclusive: Four EU countries call for use of Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: A view shows heavily damaged residential buildings located near Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine May 22, 2022. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Pavel Klimov/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Lithuania, Slovakia, Latvia and Estonia will call on Tuesday for the confiscation of Russian assets frozen by the European Union to fund the rebuilding of Ukraine after Russia's invasion, a joint letter written by the four showed on Monday.

On May 3, Ukraine estimated the amount of money needed to rebuild the country from the destruction wrought by Russia at around $600 billion. But with the war still in full swing, the sum is likely to have risen sharply, the letter said.