Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Monday, Russia issued a warning to European countries, stating that it would pursue any nation attempting to seize its assets, following reports that the European Union is considering using billions of dollars worth of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, Reuters reported.
What actions is Russia threatening against European states?What is the proposed European Commission reparations loan for Ukraine?
Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022, the US and its partners banned transactions with the Russian central bank and finance ministry. They froze $300-$350 billion of Russia’s sovereign assets, mainly government bonds held in European securities depositories.
What actions is Russia threatening against European states?
Russia claims that seizing its assets would be equivalent to theft by the West, and that it would erode trust in the bonds and currencies of the US and Europe.
“If this happens, Russia will pursue the EU states, as well as European degenerates from Brussels and individual EU countries who try to seize our property, until the end of the century,”
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Telegram.
Russia will pursue European states in “all possible ways” and in “all possible international and national courts” as well as “out of court”, said Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
What is the proposed European Commission reparations loan for Ukraine?
Reuters news agency reported that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants the EU to find a new method to fund Ukraine’s defence against Russia, utilising the cash balances tied to Russian assets frozen in Europe.
According to Politico, the European Commission is considering using Russian cash deposits at the European Central Bank from maturing bonds held by Russia to fund a “Reparations Loan” for Ukraine.
As of 2025, European countries have frozen approximately €210 billion worth of Russian sovereign assets. These frozen assets are separate from private Russian wealth or oligarch assets that relate to the private frozen property that comes around $58 billion frozen at the start of 2023, which is an order of magnitude smaller than state-held assets.
The EU and its allies maintain these holdings under a sanctions regime, as well as part of the sanctions and throughout the financial pressure strategy on Russia from the war in Ukraine.
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