Former presidential advisor on economic issues Oleh Ustenko said Russia could pay Ukraine about $20 billion in annual reparations over 50 years. Speaking to Militarist, the economist stated that receiving full compensation quickly is impossible because the recovery process is extremely complex and lengthy.
Ustenko said no one could collect the money from Russia within one, two or even 10 years, noting that paying the entire sum quickly would be equivalent to Russia closing its own pension fund. He described annual payments of about $20 billion over five decades as a manageable figure for the Russian economy and the most realistic way for Moscow to fulfill its obligations after the full-scale invasion.
War damage estimates
Ustenko recalled that war damage totaled $750 billion as of 2024, adding that the figure has grown significantly since then. Reparations remain central to post-war recovery in Ukraine, where officials insist Russia must pay for destruction while international partners discuss mechanisms to use frozen Russian assets.
Experts noted that creating a legal mechanism to collect reparations will take many years and requires coordinated decisions at the international level.
