Moscow Charges London with 'Piracy'
Calls for the seizure of Russia's frozen central bank assets have drawn parallels to “English traditions,” according to the Foreign Ministry. The accusation comes from Russia, which has labeled the United Kingdom's actions as modern-day piracy...
TroibNews 
Calls for the seizure of Russia's frozen central bank assets have drawn parallels to “English traditions,” according to the Foreign Ministry.
The accusation comes from Russia, which has labeled the United Kingdom's actions as modern-day piracy following former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s statement advocating for the confiscation of Russian assets frozen in the West in light of sanctions related to Ukraine.
In a social media update on Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed her disdain for Sunak's comments by comparing his stance to historical instances of piracy.
“This is one of the English traditions, like tea drinking and horse racing. The fact is that piracy was legalized in England. Pirates were forbidden to attack English ships but were allowed to plunder rival vessels,” Zakharova noted on Telegram.
Zakharova's remarks came in response to Sunak's post on X, which stated, “Now is the time to seize [the Russian assets] and make Russia pay.”
The former British prime minister was referring to approximately $300 billion in assets belonging to Russia’s central bank, which have been immobilized by the Western financial system since 2022 as part of sanctions related to Ukraine. Most of these assets consist of EU, US, and British government bonds held in a Brussels-based securities depository.
“If we don’t act, [the assets] could be handed back to Moscow to fund Putin’s next war,” Sunak added on Sunday.
The UK has consistently advocated for the seizure of frozen Russian assets. Recently, Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized that Europe should shift from merely freezing these assets to actively seizing them.
Earlier this month, the British government decided to provide a $2.84 billion loan to Ukraine, which is backed by income from the frozen assets. In reaction, Moscow accused London of breaching international law and warned that it would seek to recover the funds.
EU economic sanctions against Russia are reviewed every six months, with the next renewal expected in July.
Simultaneously, the US initiated negotiations last month to pursue a peace settlement in Ukraine, with President Donald Trump suggesting that sanctions against Moscow might be lifted if an agreement is reached. Additionally, Hungary has threatened multiple times to veto the renewal of EU sanctions against Russia, raising the possibility that the frozen assets could be returned to Moscow.
Last week, the European Parliament urged EU member states, in collaboration with G7 partners, to “immediately seize all frozen Russian assets” to ensure continued support for Ukraine.
Moscow has consistently denounced the asset freeze as “theft,” and the Kremlin has signaled potential repercussions should Western nations proceed with the proposed confiscation.
Sanya Singh contributed to this article for TROIB News
The accusation comes from Russia, which has labeled the United Kingdom's actions as modern-day piracy following former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s statement advocating for the confiscation of Russian assets frozen in the West in light of sanctions related to Ukraine.
In a social media update on Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed her disdain for Sunak's comments by comparing his stance to historical instances of piracy.
“This is one of the English traditions, like tea drinking and horse racing. The fact is that piracy was legalized in England. Pirates were forbidden to attack English ships but were allowed to plunder rival vessels,” Zakharova noted on Telegram.
Zakharova's remarks came in response to Sunak's post on X, which stated, “Now is the time to seize [the Russian assets] and make Russia pay.”
The former British prime minister was referring to approximately $300 billion in assets belonging to Russia’s central bank, which have been immobilized by the Western financial system since 2022 as part of sanctions related to Ukraine. Most of these assets consist of EU, US, and British government bonds held in a Brussels-based securities depository.
“If we don’t act, [the assets] could be handed back to Moscow to fund Putin’s next war,” Sunak added on Sunday.
The UK has consistently advocated for the seizure of frozen Russian assets. Recently, Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized that Europe should shift from merely freezing these assets to actively seizing them.
Earlier this month, the British government decided to provide a $2.84 billion loan to Ukraine, which is backed by income from the frozen assets. In reaction, Moscow accused London of breaching international law and warned that it would seek to recover the funds.
EU economic sanctions against Russia are reviewed every six months, with the next renewal expected in July.
Simultaneously, the US initiated negotiations last month to pursue a peace settlement in Ukraine, with President Donald Trump suggesting that sanctions against Moscow might be lifted if an agreement is reached. Additionally, Hungary has threatened multiple times to veto the renewal of EU sanctions against Russia, raising the possibility that the frozen assets could be returned to Moscow.
Last week, the European Parliament urged EU member states, in collaboration with G7 partners, to “immediately seize all frozen Russian assets” to ensure continued support for Ukraine.
Moscow has consistently denounced the asset freeze as “theft,” and the Kremlin has signaled potential repercussions should Western nations proceed with the proposed confiscation.
Sanya Singh contributed to this article for TROIB News
