Russia Warns West Against ‘Plundering’ Frozen Funds

Date: 15 November 2022 - 21:35

News ID: ۱۰۹۰۴۴

MOSCOW (Dispatches) – Russia on Tuesday warned it will do “everything possible” to stop the West from seizing its frozen international reserves or “plundering” them to pay for reparations to Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments while criticizing the United Nations General Assembly’s approval on Monday of a resolution declaring that Russia must make reparations to Ukraine for damage inflicted during the nine-month-old conflict.
The West froze around half - or more than $300 billion - of Russia’s international reserves after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February.
“Russia will do everything possible” to resist Western attempts to “plunder” its reserves, Peskov said on Tuesday.
He accused the West of “racketeering” and of “violating all the foundations and rules of private property and international law”.
He said the moves in the United Nations were an attempt to use the global forum to “formalize robbery”.
Asked whether Russia was ready to participate in the restoration of Ukraine’s infrastructure damaged during the conflict, Peskov said: “No, that’s out of the question.”
Inflation and slowing economies are weighing on countries that have imposed penalties on Russia for starting the war. Higher costs for energy and food have destabilized business activity around the world, as much of Europe prepares to brave the winter without imports of Russian natural gas.
The European Council president, Charles Michel, also urged other global powers to intensify pressure on Russia. But it was unclear how many nations would embrace the relatively tough language in a final statement.