< strong>Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, recently emphasized that Russia owns a significant amount of Western assets and property. She warned that they could be used for revenge if the West decides to confiscate the income from Russian assets, BTA reports.
Zacharova's statement comes after the G7 decision to use interest from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine with a $50 billion loan, which Russia says is illegal and damaging global financial confidence.
At a summit in Italy, G7 leaders decided to help Ukraine by taking advantage of interest generated by Russian assets that were frozen by Western sanctions. Russia views this action as a direct threat, potentially setting the stage for a series of retaliatory measures from Moscow.
Zakharova said Russia has a wide range of political and economic responses at its disposal, but details were not disclosed.
Experts speculate that Russia may seize financial assets and securities of foreign investors that are currently frozen in special accounts. Approximately 260 billion euros are frozen in Russian central bank reserves, including about 190 billion euros in Euroclear, which is based in Belgium.
Despite an initial indication that the EU would contribute to the $50 billion loan for Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later clarified that the funds would come primarily from the US, Canada, Britain and possibly Japan.
The change suggests a reluctance among some EU countries to engage directly, possibly because of fears of retaliatory measures from Russia.
Zakharova hinted that Russia had received indications from some G7 countries about their reluctance to participate in the asset seizure. However, she did not specify who the parties were or the nature of the discussions.
Tensions between Russia and the West continue to escalate, with financial sanctions and potential retaliation creating an atmosphere of uncertainty.