Kremlin calls transfer of profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine ‘theft’

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Kremlin on Thursday defined as “theft” the transfer of the profits gained from frozen Russian assets, located in Europe, to Ukraine.

“These are illegal actions. They will certainly have legal consequences. This is nothing other than the illegal expropriation … theft of our money, our assets,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a press briefing.

Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels that the bloc has transferred windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to Kyiv.

Borrell further said that the EU already sent €1.4 billion (about $1.5 billion) to Ukraine to finance efforts by the country to make its industrial capacity work.

The 27-member bloc formally agreed in May to use windfall profits from roughly $300 billion frozen Russian assets to buy arms for Kyiv.

The assets were frozen soon after Moscow launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022.

- Pavel Durov

Peskov also touched on the situation regarding Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov’s detention, saying that Russia should continue to not give any assessments right now.

“I do not think that we should continue to give any assessments now. The main thing is that what is happening in France does not turn into political persecution,” he said.

He noted that “certain charges” have been brought against Durov.

“Durov is still a citizen of Russia, and as for obtaining French citizenship, we know nothing about that, it is none of our business,” Peskov went on to say, adding that the Kremlin does not know how many citizenships Durov possesses.

He was detained on Saturday evening and was charged on Thursday for allegedly failing to take action against users' criminal behavior, according to media reports.

French judges charged Durov but released him on a €5 million (about $5.5 million) bail under judicial supervision, with a restriction on leaving France, according to broadcaster BFMTV.