Moscow has accused European Union, EU, officials of attempting to divert the revenue from Russian assets seized since the start of the war, vowing to follow the money trail.
The Russian government opposes the plan to fund Ukraine with its resources, warning that “the desire for fraud” would lead to “legal consequences and retaliatory measures”.
“European officials are trying to brazenly pocket Russian funds,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters on Wednesday.
The diplomat condemned the “extremely muted reaction” in many European nations amid the “fraudulent lending scheme” being promoted by the EU leadership in favor of Kyiv.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever recently proposed legal guarantees before the takeover of Russian assets, but some leaders countered the idea during the EU summit in Copenhagen.
As of October 2025, Russia’s frozen assets within Europe are worth $224 billion, currently held by Belgium-based Euroclear. The total amount globally is an estimated $300 billion.
In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the union intends to use the proceeds to provide loans to Ukraine, rather than confiscate it.
At this week’s European Parliament debate on Russian violations of airspace and infrastructure, Leyen urged member states to leave the “comfort zone” and tackle Russia’s hybrid war.
“Russia wants to sow division. We have to answer with unity,” she said. “We can either shy away and watch Russian threats escalate, or we meet them with deterrence and resolve.”
In his remarks, EU Commissioner for Defence, Andrius Kubilius said from Kaliningrad or Belarus, Russia’s Geran2 drone can hit Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and Northern France.
“In the short run, we need capabilities to better detect drones with acoustic sensors, radars, and satellites,” he noted. “In the long run, capabilities to destroy drones with interceptors, electronic warfare, and mobile units.”
