Russia’s parliament speaker calls use of frozen assets "outright robbery"

Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has condemned any move by European countries to use frozen Russian assets, describing such action as “outright robbery.”

Volodin said decisions by European institutions could not provide legal or political justification for the seizure of Russia’s frozen assets, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

He warned that European countries would ultimately be required to return the assets, along with substantial interest accrued during the period in which the funds remained frozen.

The remarks come amid ongoing discussions in Europe over how frozen Russian state assets could be used to support Ukraine, including potential mechanisms involving proceeds generated by the immobilised funds.

In late 2025, the European Commission proposed a “reparations loan” of up to €210 billion for Ukraine, backed by frozen Russian assets. Under the plan, Kyiv would repay the loan only after Russia paid war reparations, but Belgium blocked the proposal at the December EU summit, demanding legally binding guarantees from all member states to ensure that any future costs would be shared and would not fall solely on Belgium or Euroclear.  Belgium hosts the bulk of the EU’s immobilised Russian central-bank assets at the Brussels-based securities depository Euroclear.