The succinct response of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the stalled scheme of the European Commission to “Steal Russian Assets,” intended to avoid having to put up their own funds to pay Ukraine to keep fighting, is worth reading in full. On Nov. 9 Lavrov was asked by RIA Novosti: “What will be Russia’s response if the frozen assets of the Russian Federation are sent to help Kyiv?” His response, even in translation, hits the nail on its head:
“It is no longer surprising to see the cynicism with which the European Commission interprets the UN Charter and other international legal norms, including the provisions on sovereign immunity and the inviolability of central bank assets. Such actions are open deception and robbery. Apparently, Europeans have awakened the old instincts of colonizers and pirates. No matter how the scheme for taking Russian money is arranged, there is no legal way to do it.
“The confiscation of our gold and foreign exchange reserves will not save Kyiv’s protégés of ‘united Europe.’ It is clear that the regime will not be able to repay any debts and will never pay off loans. Seeing this, not everyone in the European Union is ready to blindly take such steps, which are also fraught with serious reputational risks for the eurozone as a territory of economic activity.
“Russia will give an adequate response to any robbery actions in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, based on national interests and the need to compensate for the damage caused to us. Brussels and other Western capitals may still come to their senses and abandon the planned adventure.”
It is generally admitted that Moscow would not have a problem in identifying at least $200 billion of Western assets within their reach, in order to reciprocate.
