Russia’s retaliatory measures to the EU’s freezing of its assets will not be long in coming, warned Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. «Our response will be immediate.
Decisions of the Bank of Russia
The Bank of Russia published a detailed statement on the issue on December 12. Concrete measures are already being implemented”, said Zakharova in a note published in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relaunched by Ria Novosti.
The accusations against the European Union
The spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy added that Brussels’ policy towards Moscow is devoid of logic and resembles the theater of the absurd; He noted that the policy of harming Russia at any cost has already led to a disastrous economic situation within the EU itself.
The denunciation of a violation of international law
“The transfer of our sovereign assets without the consent of the Russian Federation, whether through indefinite blocking, confiscation or an attempt to present their de facto confiscation as a kind of “reparations loan”, is an absolutely illegal act that seriously violates international law,” warned Zakharova.
Salvini: the EU is playing with fire on Russian assets
The indefinite freezing of Russian assets, decided by the European Commission, «personally I consider it a gamble, an imprudence and the Italian government did well to dot the i’s, because we are in fact in a free market, we are not at war against Russia». The deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure and transport, Matteo Salvini, said this on the sidelines of the Milanese League party.
«Confiscate goods, money, shops has a contraindication that the Russians will evidently do the same. I remember that we have 314 Italian companies in Russia that make a turnover and provide jobs, so it seems to me that in Brussels someone is playing with fire. This also applies to the issue of weapons, we ask for a discontinuity compared to past years, because compared to past years there are two new features: an open negotiating table, thanks to Trump and perhaps boycotted by someone in Europe, and rampant corruption in Ukraine, so it is clear that we continue to support a people at war, but we ask for prudence, foresight, responsibility and I am convinced that we will be listened to”, concluded Salvini.