The Monocle Daily European leaders sign treaty to form a commission for Ukraine war damages. Plus: Why is Trump suing the BBC?
Dec 16, 2025
Patti Cohen, a global economics correspondent at The New York Times, and Alexander Görlach, a political philosophy professor at NYU, dive into pressing global issues. They discuss the new International Claims Commission for Ukraine, exploring hurdles in funding reconstruction through frozen Russian assets. The conversation shifts to Trump's lawsuit against the BBC, revealing its implications for media freedom. They also touch on the demographic challenges in East Asia and Europe, and ponder the disruptive impact of AI on recipe blogging and journalism.
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Europe Sets Up Reparations Mechanism
- European leaders created the International Claims Commission for Ukraine to centralise reparations claims and plan reconstruction funding.
- The commission signals a political push to hold Russia accountable despite unresolved legal and financing hurdles.
Frozen Assets Raise Precedent Fears
- Freezing Russian assets differs legally from seizing them, and Europeans worry about precedent and investor confidence.
- Patti Cohen notes few viable options remain as Ukraine faces urgent financing shortfalls.
Reparations Are Political And Symbolic
- Rebuilding Ukraine is both an economic and symbolic act tied to the eventual peace settlement and 21st-century rules.
- Alexander Gerlach says reparations are meant to deter future invasions and define political norms.