Russian State Duma speaker threatens to confiscate British property in retaliation for frozen asset revenue transfers to Ukraine

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin warned on Friday that the Russian authorities “have every reason to respond in kind and confiscate British property,” following Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s announcement earlier in the day that Kyiv has received roughly $971 million from the U.K., funded by revenues from frozen Russian assets. 

“The transfer of funds belonging to Russia by England to Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law. They will have to return to Russia what they are now so generously distributing,” Volodin stated, arguing that the transfers “will permanently undermine trust in the British financial system.”