On Tuesday, Russia issued a stern warning to Western nations, stating that it would respond decisively if the United States and the European Union appropriated Russian assets amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.
Russia Issues Warning to the West About Seizing Its State Assets
The situation arose after the United States, along with its allies, imposed restrictions on dealings with Russia’s central bank and finance ministry following President Vladimir Putin’s decision to deploy troops to Ukraine in 2022.
These measures effectively immobilised approximately $300 billion of Russia’s sovereign assets in Western countries. On Monday, the European Union announced the implementation of a new regulation to reallocate unexpected gains from frozen Russian central bank assets.
This move is part of the EU’s broader strategy to utilise these funds for Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, condemned the action on Sputnik radio, as reported by TASS, labelling it as blatant expropriation and likening it to theft.
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Zakharova emphasised that Russia’s countermeasures would be “extremely tough,” portraying the situation as a confrontation with outright theft. She further clarified Russia’s stance, stating that the country perceives these actions not as political manoeuvring or technological overreach but as direct thievery.
Consequently, Russia has announced that it would retaliate by confiscating assets from the U.S., Europe, and other countries if its properties were to be seized.
