Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on Friday that the EU executive body is studying a proposal to take some of the profits from frozen Russian state assets to help Ukraine and its post-war reconstruction.
Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Russian State Duma. Photo: TASS
Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the Russian State Duma, said Moscow would retaliate in a way that would make the bloc pay more if the EU moved against Russian assets, many of which are currently held in Belgium.
“Some European politicians , led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have once again started talking about stealing our country’s frozen funds to continue militarizing Kiev,” Volodin said on Telegram.
“Such a decision would be met with a proportionate response from the Russian Federation. In that case, much more assets belonging to unfriendly countries would be seized than our frozen funds in Europe,” he said.
Von der Leyen said on Friday the value of frozen Russian sovereign assets was 211 billion euros ($223.15 billion) and reiterated that the bloc had decided that Russia must pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Mr Volodin said EU politicians were considering the move “in an effort to save their jobs and because of the dire financial situation they have put their countries in”.
Mai Anh (according to Reuters)
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