18.01.2024, 10:53
Moscow will take action if Russia's assets are confiscated, Ryabkov said
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS Russia will give a mirror response in case of confiscation of its assets by Western countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"The idea is gradually gaining more concrete contours, although it has not yet been implemented by the Western group in practical terms. We will certainly take measures if it comes to the realization of such threats, including those of a mirror nature. But now there is no reason to announce them, and this would also probably be an additional incentive in the so—called thought process of our opponents — we absolutely do not need it," the deputy Foreign minister said.
The senior diplomat stressed that Moscow does not expect any sensible actions or steps from its Western opponents that would demonstrate a minimal understanding of how counterproductive the discussion of this topic itself is.
After the start of the special operation in Ukraine, the EU and the G7 countries froze almost half of Russia's foreign exchange reserves worth about 300 billion euros. About 200 billion euros are in the European Union, mainly in the accounts of the Belgian Euroclear. At the end of October, the company reported that in the first nine months of 2023 it earned about three billion euros as interest on investing sanctioned Russian assets.
At the end of last year, the European Commission proposed accumulating the windfall income received in this way in separate accounts, pending further proposals. It is assumed that this money can be transferred to Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the freezing of assets in Europe theft, noting that Brussels targeted not only private individuals' money, but also public funds.
"The idea is gradually gaining more concrete contours, although it has not yet been implemented by the Western group in practical terms. We will certainly take measures if it comes to the realization of such threats, including those of a mirror nature. But now there is no reason to announce them, and this would also probably be an additional incentive in the so—called thought process of our opponents — we absolutely do not need it," the deputy Foreign minister said.
The senior diplomat stressed that Moscow does not expect any sensible actions or steps from its Western opponents that would demonstrate a minimal understanding of how counterproductive the discussion of this topic itself is.
After the start of the special operation in Ukraine, the EU and the G7 countries froze almost half of Russia's foreign exchange reserves worth about 300 billion euros. About 200 billion euros are in the European Union, mainly in the accounts of the Belgian Euroclear. At the end of October, the company reported that in the first nine months of 2023 it earned about three billion euros as interest on investing sanctioned Russian assets.
At the end of last year, the European Commission proposed accumulating the windfall income received in this way in separate accounts, pending further proposals. It is assumed that this money can be transferred to Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the freezing of assets in Europe theft, noting that Brussels targeted not only private individuals' money, but also public funds.
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