Russian officials threatened the West on April 28 with a "severe" response in the event that frozen Russian assets are confiscated, promising "endless" legal challenges and tit-for-tat measures. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would never cede territories seized from Ukraine in exchange for the return of frozen assets. "Russian assets must remain untouched because otherwise there will be a severe response to Western thievery," Zakharova wrote on Telegram. In response to Russia's war in Ukraine, Washington and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia's central bank and Finance Ministry and blocked about $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets in the West, most of which are in European financial institutions.
Russia Threatens West With 'Severe' Response If Its Assets Are Touched
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (file photo)