Moscow says EU’s tampering with Russian assets is ‘theft’ no matter how it’s framed
Moscow has slammed the European Union for freezing Russian assets indefinitely, describing the move as “theft.”
“Actions against sovereign assets taken without Russia’s consent – whether indefinite immobilization, confiscation, or attempts to portray them as a so-called reparations loan – are entirely illegal under international law,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters during her regular briefing on Saturday.
Zakharova described the EU’s utilization of Russian assets to mitigate the consequences of the US and its European allies’ involvement in Ukraine as “funding the failed Ukrainian project.”
She said that in whatever way Brussels cares to frame tampering with Russian assets, it is still “theft.”
“No matter what pseudo-legal tricks Brussels employs to justify it, this is blatant theft,” she said.
European Union member states have voted in favor of imposing an indefinite freeze on €210bn Russian Central Bank assets held in Europe.
The asset freeze had previously required renewal every six months, making it vulnerable to potential vetoes by Hungary and Slovakia that would have allowed Russia to reclaim the funds.
However, on Friday, the EU invoked its rarely used emergency powers to circumvent potential vetoes from Hungary and Slovakia and made the asset freeze indefinite.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the move unlawful, denouncing the EU Commission for “systematically raping European law.”
Of some $300bn in Russian frozen assets worldwide, €210bn are held in Europe.
In retaliation to the latest EU move, the Russian central bank initiated legal proceedings against Belgian clearinghouse Euroclear, a Brussels-based central securities depository.
EU member states agree to impose indefinite freeze on Russian assets
Putin voices support for Maduro as US escalates attacks on Venezuela
Japan scrambles fighters to monitor Russia-China 'show-of-force' patrol
China expands use of Iranian rail corridor for cargo transit
Ukraine’s Zelensky says open to dropping NATO bid for security guarantees
Israel kills 3 in south Lebanon as it threatens ‘wide-scale’ attack
VIDEO | Iran’s mega solar plant to power 2.5 million homes
Hamas warns against Israel's plans to 're-engineer' Gaza
VIDEO | South Koreans join migrants in Seoul to protest on Migrant Workers' Day
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | Iraq, UN officially mark end of UNAMI mission in country
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
