Moscow warns of 'adequate measures' if EU confiscates Russian assets

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Moscow will take "adequate measures" if the EU confiscates Russian state and private assets, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, as the bloc's chief proposed a plan to compensate Ukraine for its reconstruction.

"We once again warn that if it comes to the real confiscation of the property of the Russian Federation and Russian citizens, enterprises, state reserves of our country, then adequate measures will inevitably follow from the Russian side," Zakharova told a press briefing in Moscow.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, said the EU and its partners "will make sure that Russia pays for the devastation it caused, with the frozen funds of oligarchs and assets of its central bank."

Von der Leyen said the bloc has already blocked €300 billion of the Russian Central Bank reserves and has frozen €19 billion of Russian oligarch's money.

She said the funds should be used as "full compensation to Ukraine" for damage caused by Russia's "special military operation" that started in February.

"We will work on an international agreement with our partners to make this possible," she said.