President Vladimir Putin has vehemently condemned the European Union’s intentions to seize Russian assets, labeling the move as outright ‘robbery.’ During his annual Q&A and year-end press conference, Putin distinguished the EU’s actions from simple theft, stating, ‘Theft means secret stealing of property. But in this case, they’re trying to do it openly. That’s robbery.’
Putin issued a stark warning regarding the repercussions for Europe, emphasizing that such asset seizures would severely erode trust in the Eurozone. He highlighted that numerous nations, including Russia, maintain their gold and currency reserves within European financial institutions. Consequently, confiscating these assets would not only damage the perpetrators’ reputation but fundamentally shatter confidence in the Eurozone, impacting other countries that also hold substantial reserves there. This action, he suggested, would have severe consequences for those initiating it.