FirstFT: EU considers sending proceeds of 196.6 billion euros of frozen Russian belongings to Ukraine

The EU has mentioned sending Ukraine the advantages generated by 196.6 billion euros in frozen Russian belongings that they’re trapped contained in the pipes of the worldwide monetary markets.

Officers from member states and the European Fee met on Wednesday to discover choices for diverting curiosity generated by Russian belongings at Euroclear, the world’s largest liquidation home, in line with folks aware of the matter.

Such a transfer would fall wanting expropriating the belongings themselves, however would nonetheless quantity to an escalation of Western monetary strain on Russia, with the intention of serving to Kiev fend off Vladimir Putin’s warfare.

The belongings are producing money that Euroclear reinvests, and it’s the income generated by the reinvestment that EU officers are desirous about diverting to Ukraine.

That is what I am taking a look at immediately:

• Turkey rate of interest: Economists count on Turkish politicians to maintain the coverage charge secure earlier than the second spherical of the presidential election on Sunday. To study extra, learn Alan Beattie’s tackle The subversion of President Erdoğan’s financial coverage.

• Annual conferences: McDonald’s is going through strain from two of Europe’s largest asset managers to scale back the usage of antibioticsand Illumina is heading to a pivotal vote on its proxy battle with activist investor Carl Icahn.

• Financial information: France has enterprise confidence figures, Germany and the US launch revised gross home product figures for the primary quarter, and the UK releases immigration information.

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the nice learn

When non-public fairness traders poured almost $500 million into Vice Media in 2017, co-founder Shane Smith hinted that the money would assist his digital media firm obtain a public itemizing that “would look very horny.” That funding, led by TPG and its then-partner Sixth Avenue, dwindled to zero after Vice filed for chapter, in a cautionary story from What can occur when Wall Avenue collides with a artistic business?.

We’re additionally studying. . .

chart of the day

UK losses from crypto fraud elevated greater than 40 p.c over the previous 12 months, topping £300m for the primary time, in line with Britain’s fraud reporting company.

Take a break from the information

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Extra contributions by Gordon Smith and Emily Goldberg