DISINFO: Germans are kleptomaniacs who want to seize Russian assets
SUMMARY
The German authorities are kleptomaniacs because the German Prosecutor General's Office has called for the seizure of Russian assets. They used to be dishonest in a political context, they used to break agreements in order to deceive people. Now they have turned out to be kleptocratic in the literal sense of this word. The US, in its clandestine contacts, was explaining to Europeans how best to change laws to grab and steal Russian assets.
RESPONSE
A recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the EU and the US of ‘stealing’ Russian assets. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Both the EU and the US are mulling absolutely legal ways to freeze Russian funds and use them for the rebuilding of Ukraine’s post-war economy.
The European Commission presented on 30 November 2023 various options to Member States, aiming to ensure that Russia is held accountable for its atrocities and crimes during the unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. The discussions also covered financial mechanisms. The Commission's proposals included the establishment of a structure to manage frozen Russian assets. This plan involves investing these assets and utilizing the proceeds to benefit Ukraine in the short term. Furthermore, the proposal suggests that these assets would be returned to Russia in the long term, contingent upon a peace agreement that includes compensation for Ukraine for the damages it endured. It is important to note that this proposal does not involve permanent confiscation of Russian assets, thus avoiding any notion of kleptomania.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said legal studies are under way on how Russia's assets abroad can be seized to help rebuild Ukraine:
‘My own view is you broke it, you bought it. And so the Russians having broken it, they ought to pay for it. And one way to do that would be through the use of these assets. We have to make sure that there is a legal basis to do that.’
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The EU using Russian money to support Ukraine is theft, that Europe is calling Russia a "sponsor of terrorism" to steal its assets on behalf of the US, and that EU’s fascist sanctions against Russia prove European countries are no longer democratic.