According to Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia’s lower house of parliament and a supporter of President Vladimir Putin, if the European Union uses frozen Russian funds to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction, it is probable that Russia will seize the assets of EU countries.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that she was crafting a proposal that would take the profits from Russian frozen state assets to finance Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

Volodin stated on the Telegram messaging app that a decision of this nature would warrant a reciprocal reaction from the Russian government. This could potentially result in a larger number of assets of unfriendly nations being seized compared to the frozen funds in Europe.

On Sunday, Russia reported shooting down 36 drones in the Black Sea and Crimean Peninsula during the previous night. Ukraine, who has increased their efforts against Russia, has not responded to the attack.

The G7 trade ministers released a joint declaration during their meeting in Japan on Sunday, denouncing Russia’s incursion into Ukraine as a “cruel, unwarranted, unjustifiable, and unlawful act of aggression.”

According to the British Defense Ministry, Russian universities have allegedly been ordered to refrain from discussing any negative topics related to Russian politics, economics, and society during academic events.

The ministry stated that this action is another example of limiting the flow of information during times of war in Russia, which makes it challenging to openly address policy matters.

According to the ministry, this constraint may contribute to the ongoing pattern of Russian policy decisions being influenced by a narrow range of politically favorable views that align with the Kremlin’s agenda. This is expected to continue leading up to President Vladimir Putin’s expected campaign for reelection in March, as stated by the British ministry.

Source: voanews.com