CaliToday (18/9/2025): The Kremlin has issued one of its most forceful warnings to the European Union to date, declaring that any attempt to confiscate frozen Russian sovereign assets would be considered "outright theft" and would trigger a painful and commensurate response from Moscow.
The stern message comes as the EU continues to explore legal avenues to seize hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian central bank assets that were frozen in member states following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. European leaders have proposed using these funds to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine.
In a press briefing, a high-level Kremlin spokesperson categorically condemned the EU's discussions on the matter, framing any potential confiscation as a flagrant violation of international financial laws and norms.
"We have made our position unequivocally clear," the spokesperson stated. "The seizure of Russian assets would be an unprecedented step, trampling on all the foundations of the international legal and economic system. We would view this as nothing less than an act of outright theft."
Moscow emphasized that it would not stand by idly if such a decision were made. "Let no one in Brussels or any other European capital have any doubt: our response will be commensurate and resolute," the official continued. "We have prepared a list of Western assets and property within our jurisdiction that would be subject to retaliatory measures. The economic consequences for the European Union would be severe."
The frozen assets, estimated to be worth over €200 billion within the EU, were immobilized as part of the sweeping sanctions designed to cripple Russia's war economy. For months, the EU and its G7 partners have been debating the legality and feasibility of confiscating these funds, rather than just the profits they generate, to provide substantial financial aid to Kyiv.
Proponents of the plan argue it is a moral imperative to use the aggressor's own funds to repair the damage inflicted upon Ukraine. However, some EU member states, along with the European Central Bank, have expressed serious reservations, warning that such a move could undermine the trust in the Euro, deter foreign investment in the bloc, and spark significant legal challenges and economic instability.
Russia's explicit threat of retaliation significantly raises the stakes in this high-stakes financial and geopolitical standoff. The warning is clearly intended to deter EU policymakers by highlighting the direct economic pain Moscow could inflict, creating a direct confrontation over the future of the frozen funds and setting the stage for a dramatic escalation in the economic conflict between Russia and the West.
