Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 1, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe Kremlin warns Europe against seizing Russian assets, citing potential legal actions and risks to banking trust and investment in Europe.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin warned European leaders on Wednesday that Russia would pursue any individual or country which stole its money and cautioned that the theft of Russian assets would badly rebound on European depositories and investment.
The European Union is mulling a proposal to use Russian assets frozen in Europe to fund a loan of 140 billion euros ($164.37 billion) to Ukraine.
There are some $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, 210 billion euros of which is held in Europe, of which 185 billion euros is in Euroclear, a Brussels-based central securities depository; about 176 billion euros of that has become cash as the securities mature.
"We are talking about plans for the illegal seizure of Russian property. In Russian, we call that simply theft," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Peskov said that if anyone stole or misappropriated Russia's assets - or income from those assets - then "the persons involved will be prosecuted in one way or another, they will all be called to account."
He said any countries involved would also be pursued.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said that attempting to take its assets will undermine confidence in the central banking system, in the euro as a currency, and in the perception of the safety of ownership and property rights in Europe.
"These are additional steps towards the complete destruction of trust in the principle of the inviolability of property," Peskov said.
"The boomerang will very seriously hit those who are the main depositories, countries that are interested in investment attractiveness," he said.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Guy FaulconbridgeEditing by Andrew Osborn)
A frozen asset refers to funds or property that cannot be accessed or utilized due to legal restrictions, often as a result of sanctions or legal disputes.
A central securities depository (CSD) is an institution that holds securities such as stocks and bonds in electronic form, facilitating their transfer and settlement.
Property rights are legal rights to possess, use, and dispose of property, which are essential for ensuring ownership and investment security.
Economic impact refers to the effect that an event, policy, or market change has on the economy, influencing factors like employment, production, and investment.
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