EU decision to freeze Russian assets against peace efforts: Moscow

The European Union has indefinitely froze Russia’s assets in Europe to ensure that Hungary and Slovakia, both with Moscow-friendly governments, can’t prevent the billions of euros from being used to support Ukraine. The EU blocked the assets until Russia gives up its war on Ukraine and compensates its neighbor for the heavy damage that it has inflicted for almost four years. Russia on Saturday said the EU's decision to indefinitely freeze Russian sovereign assets is a targeted attack on peace efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, adding that Moscow would take retaliatory steps. Hungary and Slovakia oppose providing more support to Ukraine. Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has opposed the move.If EU steals frozen Russian assets then ‘other countries won’t keep their money in euros, he said. He is ‘100% sure the Russians will win a lawsuit on this matter. The financial repercussions ‘could bring down the Belgian economy’. Orban also said that it means that “the rule of law in the European Union comes to an end, and Europe’s leaders are placing themselves above the rules.”

If EU steals frozen Russian assets then ‘other countries won’t keep their money in euros’ — Hungarian PM Orban

He is ‘100% sure the Russians will win a lawsuit on this matter’

The financial repercussions ‘could bring down the Belgian economy’ pic.twitter.com/EqbZtcZTnc

— RT (@RT_com) December 13, 2025

On Friday, the European Union Council decided to "prohibit, on a temporary basis, any transfers of Central Bank of Russia assets immobilised in the EU back to Russia." In a statement, it said the decision was taken as a "matter of urgency to limit damage to the Union’s economy." The vast majority of the funds — around 193 billion euros ($225 billion) at the end of September — are held in Euroclear, a Belgian financial clearing house.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a press statement said that the timing of the EU decision shows that Brussels is seeking to undermine efforts to settle the Ukraine conflict, by delivering a direct blow to the peace initiatives of US President Donald Trump. “Brussels is carefully concealing the fact that it will be citizens of EU countries who will ultimately pay for these political ambitions. Our retaliatory actions will follow shortly,” Zakharova said.

Russia’s regulator announced that it had filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Arbitration Court against the Euroclear depository, seeking compensation for losses incurred by the Bank of Russia,” she said. The Bank of Russia had announced its decision to recover damages caused to the Russian regulator from the Belgian depository Euroclear by filing a corresponding lawsuit in the Moscow Arbitration Court. Brussels-based Euroclear is believed to be holding about 200 billion euros worth of Russian sovereign assets, which the European Commission wants to underwrite a reparation loan to Ukraine to fund its civilian and military budget.