"Banditry"

Kremlin warns EU against grabbing frozen money

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (right, with President Selenskyj in Kiev) wants to use frozen Russian assets to rearm Ukraine.(Bild: APA/AFP/UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/Handout)

The European Union is considering using frozen Russian assets to arm Ukraine. The Kremlin has now issued a strong warning against this. The Russian Foreign Office spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, spoke of "banditry and theft" and an "unprecedented violation" of international law.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov threatened the EU countries on Wednesday with decades of criminal prosecution. "Europeans should be aware of the damage that such decisions could cause to their economy, their image and their reputation as reliable guarantors of the inviolability of property," said Peskov. Individuals and states involved could face prosecution for "many decades".

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (right, with President Selenskyj in Kiev) wants to use frozen Russian assets to rearm Ukraine.(Bild: APA/AFP/UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/Handout)

200 billion euros frozen
Since the beginning of the Russian offensive against Ukraine, the EU has frozen around 200 billion euros in Russian assets as part of sanctions. The handling of the funds and a possible confiscation for transfer to Ukraine have been the subject of debate for months.

Borrell wants access to interest profits
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has now proposed that the funds should not be released in full to Ukraine, but that at least the interest profits of around three billion euros a year should be used. According to the proposal, 90 percent of the money is to be used for weapons and ammunition for Ukraine and ten percent for the defense industry and the reconstruction of the country. The heads of state and government of the 27 EU countries are to discuss the proposal for the first time at a summit meeting on Thursday.