Britain is obliged to unfreeze Russia’s assets without conditions on reparations – Kommersant

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov believes that all countries that initiated the freezing of Russian assets, including the UK, should unblock them without any requirements. Thus, he commented on the conditions of the British authorities on the return of frozen Russian assets in exchange for compensation for the damage caused to Ukraine.

“Britain and other countries that encroached on Russian assets are obliged to unfreeze them immediately without any conditions. Otherwise, they violate all the norms and rules of both their domestic legislation and international law, ”Dmitry Peskov said during a press call, answering a question from Kommersant FM whether Moscow would agree to pay compensation to Ukraine for damage caused during the hostilities. damage.

The fact that the UK will unlock Russian assets if Russia agrees to pay compensation to Ukraine was announced by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley on May 19. On May 26, The Guardian reported that the British House of Commons had already demanded that the government develop a plan to use Russia’s assets.

However, according to the newspaper, the UK government refuses to commit itself to expropriate the funds of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, fearing to create a precedent that will paralyze the international financial system and provoke countermeasures against London. According to The Guardian, in 2022, state assets of the Russian Federation frozen in the UK were estimated at 26 billion (2.5 trillion rubles).

Milena Kostereva