MOSCOW, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Russia said on Thursday that any “illegal action” by the European Union to freeze its assets would trigger the “sternest response” and Moscow was already preparing a response.
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed an unprecedented use of frozen Russian assets or international borrowing to raise 90 billion euros ($105 billion) for Ukraine to pay for its military and essential services that are struggling in Russia’s war.
The proposal would invoke emergency powers to circumvent the vetoes of Russia-friendly EU countries such as Hungary and Slovakia.
“No illegal act involving our assets will go unanswered… Preparations for a package of countermeasures in response to the actual theft and seizure of assets of the Russian Federation are already underway,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters.
For months, the EU has been discussing a legal mechanism that would allow it to use frozen Russian assets in Europe to provide loans to Ukraine.
Belgium, where most of the frozen assets are located, has stepped up its opposition to the plan, demanding assurances from its EU partners that they will share responsibility if the legality of such a move is in any doubt.
Zakharova mocked the heated debate within the EU over whether the plan should risk moving forward, saying “rational forces” within the bloc were trying to block the plan because it was illegal.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Mark Trevelyan and Felix Wright; Editing by Guy Falconbridge)
