Moscow confirmed on Tuesday that it is responding to sanctions and the freezing of Russian assets in the West by confiscating and nationalizing the companies and assets of foreign citizens on Russian territory.
“These measures have been taken in the context of the hostile climate that has been created around Russia and other hostile actions, including in the economic sphere, carried out by certain European states, as well as their association, the European Union,” stated the Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, at his daily press conference.
“Russia is taking the measures it deems necessary to safeguard its interests,” he added. Peskov thus responded to a question about the reprivatization of some assets in Russia after they had been nationalized and whether this is Moscow’s response to the freezing of Russian assets in the West and to the Europeans’ plans for confiscation and even transfer of these assets to Ukraine.
“Of course, if there will be implementation of plans for illegal confiscation of assets and Russian properties, Russia will defend its interests and will use all available legal tools,” added the spokesperson of the Russian president, according to Agerpres.
Russia nationalizes companies
Since the war in Ukraine began in 2022, Russia has nationalized over a hundred companies, many with foreign shareholders, such as Shell, Danone or ExxonMobil, others belonging to Russian citizens.
