Commenting on the potential seizure of Russian assets by European authorities, he told CBS News: “Regarding the frozen assets, we are all fully committed to adhering to international rules. These central bank assets cannot be confiscated, even in this case. I believe it is a matter of trust, and it is crucial that our countries respect international law.” He affirmed: “Therefore, we will respect international law. We are acting according to expectations and will not do anything impossible with these frozen assets.”
Following the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, the European Union and the G7 countries froze nearly half of Russia’s foreign exchange reserves, approximately 300 billion euros. More than 200 billion euros are held in the European Union, mostly in accounts with Euroclear in Belgium, one of the world’s largest clearing and settlement systems.
In late August, the newspaper “Welt am Sonntag,” citing European Commission data, reported that the EU transferred 10.1 billion euros to Ukraine between January and July 2025, using proceeds from the frozen funds at the Russian central bank. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow would respond to the West’s seizure of frozen Russian assets. According to him, Russia also has the option of not returning the funds held by Western countries in Russia.
Western countries themselves have repeatedly expressed the view that the sanctions imposed on Russia are ineffective. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that the policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term Western strategy, and that the sanctions dealt a severe blow to the entire global economy. According to him, the main goal of the West is the deterioration of the lives of millions of people.
