USA asked the Soviet Union to return her leased/loaned ships according to the Dutch newspaper Nieuwsblad van het Noorden dated 8 February 1951

An item reported that the USA officially requested Soviet Union to return immediately the 672 war- and merchant ships which were loaned/leased according to the agreement in the Second World War. The Soviet Union also had to pay back 800.000.000 dollars as a result of the same agreement and which payment was behind schedule. The Soviet authorities seemed to refuse to negotiate the return of these ships and to pay more as 200.000.000 dollars. The Soviet Union was interested in buying ships something the USA refused to discuss as long as the debts were no solved.