An ally of Vladimir Putin issued a direct warning to Europe today (23.04.2024) that Russia has already drawn up legislation to retaliate if almost $300 billion of Russian assets are seized by the West and used to help Ukraine.
After President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in 2022, the United States, Europe and their allies banned transactions with Russia’s central bank and finance ministry; blocking about $300 billion on Russian state assets located in the West.
Top officials in the US want to seize the assets and use them to support Ukraine, although some bankers and European officials worry that this will set a dangerous precedent.
The US House of Representatives adopted legislation on Saturday (20.04.2024) which includes a bill with a provision that allows the seizure of Russian state assets; although the lion’s share of these assets are located in Europe.
“We also have a ready answer”reportedly stated Valentina Matviyenkothe speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, according to the state news agency RIA. “We have a draft law, which we are ready to consider immediately, regarding retaliatory measures.”
“And the Europeans will lose more than us,” stressed Matviyenko, who is a member of Russia’s powerful Security Council.
Matviyenko he didn’t say anything specific about what the answer would be on the seizure of Russian assets, which is still being debated in the West.
One option, discussed by the West, is to confiscate the proceeds of the assets without confiscating the assets themselves.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said that any seizure of its assets would go against all Western free market principles and undermine confidence in the US dollar and the euro, while deterring global investment and undermining confidence in Western central banks. banks.
Russia has also said it will take legal action against any seizure of its assets.
The speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, said yesterday, Monday, that Russia has grounds to seize Western assets after the move by the US House of Representatives.
Volodin stated that from the Of the $280 billion in Russian assets located abroad, only $5 to $6 billion is in the United States, while about €210 billion is in the EU.
