Russia claims it can freeze Western assets if G7 confiscates Russian money

[FfFfFfFF 58,120]

Kremlin officials warned the West on Friday that there was a list of US, European and other Western assets that would be seized should G7 leaders decide to give the green light to a plan to seize assets worth about 300 billion dollars belonging to the Central Bank of Russia, which are currently frozen, reports Reuters.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that such a decision by the West would amount to "theft", [...] would undermine the currency system, the world financial system and the global economy. "It would undermine the trust of other countries in the US as well as in the EU as economic guarantors. Source

Part of this conservation is the fact that Romania lobbies for the return of treasure stolen by Russia, which includes ~120 tonnes of gold and other valuable objects sent by Romania to then allied Russian Empire to take shelter from the enchroaching German and Austrian-Empires, but were never returned back, which makes it that Romania has a more justifiable and deep-rooted claim to Russian financial reserves (if not for money at least to the historical artefacts and the stolen gold).

Spoiler

My economics knowlede is lacking and I know nothing about Russia's assets except insofar as it relates to geopolitics and Romania's history, so I am going to summon @Economy just in case 

[Dennis 8,391]

5 minutes ago, FfFfFfFF said:

Part of this conservation is the fact that Romania lobbies for the return of treasure stolen by Russia, which includes ~120 tonnes of gold and other valuable objects sent by Romania to then allied Russian Empire to take shelter from the enchroaching German and Austrian-Empires, but were never returned back, which makes it that Romania has a more justifiable and deep-rooted claim to Russian financial reserves (if not for money at least to the historical artefacts and the stolen gold).

This is actually insane 

[FfFfFfFF 58,120]

Just now, Dennis said:

This is actually insane 

Insane as in, you are not educated about it or in a different way?

[Dennis 8,391]

1 minute ago, FfFfFfFF said:

Insane as in, you are not educated about it or in a different way?

Insane as in, it's a literal scam. Your friend who's in danger gives you smth to hide for them and you just never give it back 

[Illuminati 15,965]

They were saving that gold for a scenario like this to blackmail Romania one day anyway. There's no way they held on to it for this long just because they forgot

[FfFfFfFF 58,120]

1 minute ago, Dennis said:

Insane as in, it's a literal scam. Your friend who's in danger gives you smth to hide for them and you just never give it back 

It absolutely was a theft and and even after the 90s there were never any real pressure from outside players (the EU, US) for Russia to hand back the stolen treasury. After the Bolshevic Revolution and the seccesion of Bessarabia, Moscow had the perfect excuse to indefinitely refuse to give up the stolen gold and artefacts. But in the meantime they re-occupied Bessarabia and still kept most of the treasure for themselves  (only bits and pieces were returned over the years, including the Pietroasesele Treasure which is a national symbol).

I wish this could be more well-know to international audiences, because what we're living now is probably the best opportunity to see the full resturn of the treasury.

 

[FfFfFfFF 58,120]

5 minutes ago, Illuminati said:

They were saving that gold for a scenario like this to blackmail Romania one day anyway. There's no way they held on to it for this long just because they forgot

The treasury was stolen in 1916 and Moscow never had a real intention to return it. We know it never came and is not coming back so how would they even blackmail?  The only blackmail tool I can think of is in the possibility that Moldovan businessmen have assets in Moscow and Moscow will freeze them so they will want to remove the pro-EU government of the Republic of Moldova.

[Illuminati 15,965]

1 hour ago, FfFfFfFF said:

The treasury was stolen in 1916 and Moscow never had a real intention to return it. We know it never came and is not coming back so how would they even blackmail?  The only blackmail tool I can think of is in the possibility that Moldovan businessmen have assets in Moscow and Moscow will freeze them so they will want to remove the pro-EU government of the Republic of Moldova.

Well I'm assuming the only reason they're doing this is because they think someone will care. But I was basically saying the same thing as you - Russia wouldn't return it anyway.