Moscow Threatens ‘Casus Belli’ if EU Uses Frozen Assets for Ukraine

On the same day, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, issued a stark warning to Brussels over the EU’s plan to tap into Russian funds immobilized in Europe. Medvedev said that if the bloc proceeds with using the assets — held largely in Belgium — to support Ukraine, Moscow could interpret the move as grounds for war.

“If the crazy European Union does, after all, try to steal Russian assets frozen in Belgium under the guise of a so-called ‘reparations loan’, Russia may well view this move as tantamount to a casus belli with all the relevant implications for Brussels and individual EU countries,” Medvedev said. 

The warning followed a proposal unveiled on Wednesday by the European Commission, which called for an unprecedented mechanism involving either the use of frozen Russian assets or new international borrowing to raise €90 billion ($105 billion). The funds would be directed toward Ukraine’s military needs and to support essential state services as the war continues.

Putin’s comments urging Europe to aid the pursuit of peace — paired with Medvedev’s threat of severe consequences if EU states move ahead with the asset plan — underscore the growing strain between Moscow and Brussels as the conflict in Ukraine grinds on.