The French government does not currently support the confiscation of Russian assets but continues to examine the potential implications of such a measure, the official representative of the country's government, Minister Delegate Sophie Primas said, TASS reports.
"For now, we do not support it," she said in an interview with Sud Radio. She emphasized that such a move could have "systemic consequences" for both the French and European economies, given that European banks hold assets from numerous non-European nations.
At the same time, she noted that French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou have instructed Minister of Economy and Finance Eric Lombard "to conduct a more thorough analysis of the potential repercussions of such a decision". Primas also recalled a recent announcement by Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu regarding France’s decision to allocate 195 mln euro in military aid to Ukraine, funded by proceeds derived from frozen Russian assets. "The interest [generated from the investment of frozen Russian assets] has amounted to 3 bln euro," she added.
In July, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia would take retaliatory measures against what it considers the unlawful seizure of its assets in Europe. He stressed that Moscow intends to pursue legal action against those responsible, asserting that Europe has chosen the worst course by opting to use Russian funds to support Kiev.
