4 weeks ago
Russia is considering downgrading nan level of its negotiated relations pinch nan United States if Western governments spell up pinch proposals to confiscate its stiff assets, authorities news agency RIA quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov arsenic saying connected Thursday.
The G7 group of nations are looking to usage astir $300 cardinal worthy of Russian financial assets stiff by sanctions since 2022 to thief support Ukraine, which is now successful its 3rd twelvemonth of fighting a Russian invasion.
How it would beryllium done remains highly complex, however, fixed it would group a arguable precedent.
RUSSIA HAS GROUNDS TO SEIZE WESTERN ASSETS AFTER US LEGISLATIVE MOVE, TOP LAWMAKER SAYS
Ryabkov said Moscow would retaliate economically and politically if nan assets were seized.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks astatine nan Congress of nan Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs successful Moscow, Russia April 25, 2024. (Reuters/Evgenia Novozhenina)
"Lowering nan level of negotiated relations is 1 of nan options, of course. Many high-ranking representatives successful our authorities person already spoken astir nan issues of our financial, economical and worldly consequence to this measurement (confiscation), which we are informing our opponents, arsenic before, not to take," RIA quoted him arsenic saying.
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"We are now studying nan optimal shape of reaction, wherever countermeasures see actions against nan assets of our Western opponents arsenic good arsenic negotiated consequence measures."
He did not spell retired what lowering nan level of negotiated relations mightiness entail. The Kremlin has characterised nan existent authorities of ties pinch nan United States arsenic "below zero", though nary general downgrade of relations has occurred since the Ukraine war began.
