Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia may view the EU's decision to use frozen Russian assets for a "reparations loan" to Ukraine as a pretext for war against European countries.
Points of attention
- Russia's Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warned that the EU's decision to use frozen Russian assets for a reparations loan to Ukraine could escalate to war with European countries.
- Medvedev's statements reflect the sentiments of the Russian leadership, provoking tensions in international relations and signaling a potential crisis.
- The threat of war posed by Medvedev carries significant implications for Europe and Russia, highlighting the fragile state of diplomatic relations between the two parties.
Medvedev cynically threatens Europe with war
Medvedev brazenly declared that if the "crazy European Union still tries to steal Russian assets" and use them for a reparations loan to Ukraine, then Russia may view this as a pretext for war.
"Such actions within the framework of international law can be qualified as a special casus belli with all the ensuing consequences for Brussels and individual EU countries. And then the return of these steps can take place not through the courts, but through real reparations paid in kind by Russia's defeated enemies," the Russian official cynically stated.
Medvedev, as is known, is considered a "mouthpiece" for eccentric statements that are not voiced by top Russian officials, but generally reflect the opinion and mood of the Russian elite.
His statement echoes the Kremlin leader's threats earlier this week that Europe is allegedly obstructing peace and that "if Europe wants war, Russia is ready."
On December 3, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced two decisions on financing Ukraine in 2026-2027, one of which proposes using funds from frozen Russian assets in the EU to provide Ukraine with a "reparations loan."
Even before the announcement of the new proposal, Belgium — on whose territory the bulk of Rosactives in the EU are stored and which fears the legal consequences of the decision — called it categorically unacceptable.
