MOSCOW – The Russian Foreign Ministry on Jan 12 called a United States plan to confiscate up to US$300 billion (S$399.45 billion) in frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine “21st century piracy” and said Moscow would retaliate harshly if it happened.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the United States of trying to create “legal cover” in order to steal Russia’s sovereign assets, a move Moscow has repeatedly warned would violate international law and undermine the global financial system.
“Theft of state, private and public property has become a trademark of the Anglo-Saxons,” Ms Zakharova told a news briefing.
“Washington (and) London have been doing it for decades. Before that it was called piracy, but then it was legalised. Now it is the piracy of the 21st century in my opinion.”
A Bloomberg report published on Jan 10 said US President Joe Biden’s administration was backing legislation that would allow it to seize some frozen Russian assets in order to help rebuild Ukraine, parts of which lie in ruins after Moscow sent its army into its neighbour in February 2022.
Ms Zakharova, who accused Washington of trying to strong-arm the European union into signing up to the same asset confiscation plan, said Moscow would respond harshly if its assets were stolen.
“Retaliatory measures will be taken and they will be such that they will be seen and felt. They will be painful,” she said.
After President Vladimir Putin launched what he calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, the United States and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia’s central bank and finance ministry, blocking around US$300 billion of sovereign Russian assets in the West, much of it in Europe.
Ms Zakharova said the West was now scrambling to find new ways to fund Ukraine because of growing difficulties in securing financial support for Kyiv.
The White House said on Jan 11 that US assistance for Ukraine had “ground to a halt” as negotiations continued in Washington over an aid package that could be tied to an overhaul of border security measures.
The Kremlin has previously said that Moscow has a list of US, European and other assets that Russia will seize if Western countries confiscate Russian assets.
Leaders of the Group of Seven major industrialised nations are expected to discuss next month a new legal theory that would enable the seizure of Russian assets, two sources familiar with the plans and a British official said late last year. REUTERS
“The Kremlin has previously said that Moscow has a list of US, European and other assets that Russia will seize if Western countries confiscate Russian assets.”
You already stolen most of the assets left behind by the West, so your threats are empty. If you want to talk about piracy, stealing everything not nailed down in a country you invaded, is piracy. Stealing territory from a country you invaded, is also piracy. Giving russian assets to Ukraine, is not piracy, it’s compensation, and this is just a small down payment for all the theft and destruction caused by the the dwarf terrorist.
Piracy?
So what word would this evil succubus use to describe the nazi cutthroats she works for raping, torturing, murdering and thieving off their neighbours and stealing their land?
What does she call the child rape, deployment of child torture rooms, kidnapping and brainwashing of innocent Ukrainian children being done by her nazi cutthroat bosses?
One word for the putinaZis: demonic.
There she goes again with that Middle Ages Anglo-Saxon stuff. They must live in the Middle Ages. Its seems a bit frivolous for a bunch of Mongol cousins to try to call someone Anglo-Saxon. Which has a reputation for banditry and piracy?
Pity the so called history experts don’t realise that Anglo Saxons only ruled until 1066, way before there was a shithole called muscovy.
She speaks about it as if it was a bad word or a bad name. Its more than likely just for internal use. The Krembots say it all the time as an alternative to nazis of course.
And the 200 leased planes you stole?
I call illegal annexations in Ukraine by a rogue nation 21st century piracy.
Dam right it is!
This is the “Russian Mir” Russians want; Pairacy, theft, murder, assassinations, rape and looting.
They just don’t want others doing it to them.
Because it makes them realize that they suk at it just like everything else.
D*mn right it is.
This is why you should play nice with others or your things get stolen and country gets broken.