Russia has warned that they may retaliate in kind following the passage of a U.S. Congress bill, which permits the transfer of seized Russian assets towards rebuilding Ukraine.
On Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives authorized delayed military assistance to Ukraine. This legislation also includes measures enabling the Biden administration to sell confiscated Russian assets and direct the revenue towards Kyiv’s reconstruction efforts following Russia’s destructive invasion.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov strongly criticized the possible U.S. action, describing it as “the destruction of the very basis of the economic structure” and “an assault on state property, state assets, and private property.”
“This unequivocally constitutes illegal behavior, and as such, it will result in reciprocal measures and legal consequences,” Peskov informed journalists during the routine briefing.
Earlier on Monday, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stated that Russian legislators might consider enacting “symmetrical” laws to enable the seizure of Western assets within the country.
Volodin asserted that the U.S. legislation was crafted to “provoke” the European Union into adopting comparable measures, despite some other G7 nations endorsing the notion of confiscating Russian assets.
He contended that mirroring EU legislation “would have catastrophic consequences for the European economy” due to the U.S. holding approximately $6 billion and the EU holding 210 billion euros ($224 billion) of the total $280 billion in Russian assets frozen abroad.
Previously, Peskov informed journalists that the approval of Washington’s $61 billion aid bill would “further enrich the U.S. and exacerbate Ukraine’s plight by causing more Ukrainian casualties.”
U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have both expressed approval of the latest aid package, which faced months of delays.
The bill is set for discussion in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
While the United States has been the primary military supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, Congress has not endorsed significant funding for its ally in nearly a year and a half, largely due to partisan disputes.
