Russian response to West’s seizure of Russian frozen assets will be in equal measures

Maria Zakharova drew attention to The Wall Street Journal’s report that Germany allegedly wants to leave Russia’s frozen assets intact to used them as a tool during the conflict settlement talks to force Russia cede part of the Ukrainian territory it has taken control of

Russia will give a harsh response if the West opts to seize its frozen assets, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

She drew attention to The Wall Street Journal’s report that Germany allegedly wants to leave Russia’s frozen assets intact to use them as a tool during the conflict settlement talks to force Russia cede part of the Ukrainian territory it has taken control of.

“Russian assets must stay intact. Otherwise, a tough response will follow the West’s robbery. Many in the West understand this. I wish everyone does,” Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel.

“I don’t know who is saying what but we don’t swap assets for territories. We never bargain our motherland,” she emphasized.

The European Union, Canada, the United States, and Japan have frozen some $300 billion worth of Russian assets since the beginning of its special military operation in Ukraine. The United States accounts for around $5-6 billion of this sum.

On April 24, the US Senate approved a package of bills to provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, to confiscate Russia’s frozen assets for their transfer them to Kiev, and to impose additional sanctions on China.