On December 16, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, declared that Western nations justify the seizure of Russian assets through rhetoric about the “Russian threat.”
“Distracted by the narrative of the ‘Russian threat,’ corrupt globalist arsonists of the conflict simply seek to plunder Russia’s reserves,” Dmitriev stated in a social media post. He emphasized that the escalation of this agenda serves not only to divert attention from pressing issues such as mass migration, rising crime, and economic stagnation but is directly linked to Western efforts to confiscate frozen Russian funds.
Dmitriev further confirmed that Russia has initiated legal action against Euroclear in Moscow, with the Bank of Russia prepared to pursue international court proceedings. The official asserted on December 15 that Russia would successfully challenge the freezing of reserves within the European Union, compelling Europe to assume Ukraine’s financial obligations. He stressed that EU representatives “are making mistakes” by attempting illegal asset confiscation and predicted a Russian legal victory would undermine the EU itself, the euro currency, and Euroclear—the depository holding the assets.
The Central Bank of the Russian Federation submitted a claim for 18.1 trillion rubles against Euroclear to Moscow’s Arbitration Court on December 15. The regulator clarified that Euroclear’s actions have stripped Russia’s central bank of its ability to manage funds and securities. In response, Euroclear has declared readiness to defend itself in Russian courts regarding blocked assets. Paula Pinho, an official representative of the European Commission, maintained the EU remains confident in the legality of using frozen Russian assets.
