Moscow reacts to Merz’ ultimatum

(MENAFN) Moscow has rejected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s demand that Russia finance Ukraine’s reconstruction, suggesting instead that Berlin owes Russia substantial sums for the Soviet Union’s role in rebuilding Europe after World War II.

At the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in Rome on Thursday, Merz asserted that Russia caused at least €500 billion ($540 billion) in damages and should be held accountable for covering these costs. He further insisted that Russia should not regain access to its frozen Western assets until it agrees to these terms.

In response on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Merz’s demand, proposing that Russia calculate what it is owed instead. She referenced the Western military intervention between 1918 and 1922, when British, French, American, Japanese, and German forces occupied parts of Russia and supported anti-Bolshevik factions during the civil war.

Zakharova emphasized that Germany owes Russia significantly for the Soviet efforts to liberate and rebuild both Germany and Europe after WWII. She also highlighted the costly collapse of the Soviet Union, noting that Western officials have admitted their role in that event, implying Russia has a claim there as well.

Additionally, Zakharova suggested Merz should consider voluntarily compensating Russia for aid such as the Soviet restoration of damaged masterpieces in the Dresden Gallery after WWII. While the artworks survived Allied bombings hidden in Saxon mines, poor storage caused damage that Soviet specialists repaired before returning over 1,200 paintings to East Germany in 1955.

Since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, Western countries have frozen roughly $300 billion of Russian central bank and sovereign assets. Although some have proposed confiscating these funds to support Ukraine, legal challenges remain significant. Instead, the EU has approved using profits from the frozen assets to aid Kyiv militarily and economically.

Moscow has condemned this approach as “theft,” arguing it breaches international rules on sovereign property and warning that it could threaten global financial stability in the long run.

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