United States Working on Seizing Putin's Assets: Senator Murphy

The West is preparing further restrictive measures against Moscow, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, US Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said after a classified briefing from US President Joe Biden's top national security officials on the Ukraine situation.

"The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well. This is likely a further step than Putin's inner circle anticipated," Murphy said on Twitter.

He claimed that "Russians have fallen behind their timeline" in what concerns the special military operation in Ukraine and were preparing to "cut off Kiev in the next several weeks."

The White House has asked Congress to allocate $6.4 billion to assist Kiev in its ongoing conflict with Russia. The funds could be attached to a broader government spending package expected to pass next week.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that he told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call that Kiev needs more weapons amid Russia's ongoing military operation in Ukraine and is also insisting on further restrictions against Moscow.

On Sunday, G7 foreign ministers discussed with Kuleba further steps to support Kiev, including in cybersecurity and the fight against disinformation, and expressed their commitment to increasing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The ministers once again condemned Russia's operation in Ukraine and demanded the withdrawal of all troops.

Western nations have increased sanctions pressure on Russia after it launched a military operation in Ukraine following requests for help from the people's republics in Donbas. The Russian Defense Ministry has said that the operation is targeting the military infrastructure of Ukraine only and that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine and that the purpose of its operation is to save the civilian population from genocide and liberate the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), including through the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.

On Sunday, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to supply 450 million euros ($500 million) worth of arms to the Kiev forces.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after a virtual EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting late on Sunday that the aid would also include 50 million euros for non-lethal supplies, such as fuel and protective equipment, and the EU was also going to provide fighter jets to Kiev.

The US, Canada and Australia have also approved lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine.

On Friday, the Biden administration unlocked a $350 million package of military assistance to Kiev, including more Javelin anti-tank missiles.