Moscow’s threats to retaliate against western companies over the EU’s move to indefinitely freeze Russian assets have heightened concerns in some European capitals that remain wary of using the funds to support Ukraine.
The bloc last week agreed to keep €210bn of Moscow’s assets immobilised for the foreseeable future as part of plans to channel them into a €90bn loan to Kyiv over the next two years designed to help fend off Russian aggression and bolster Europe’s role in US-led peace talks.
Russia has promised “the harshest” response if its sovereign assets are used to fund Ukraine, in a threat that has alarmed countries including Belgium, Italy and Austria.