Businessmen were “stunned” to see their accounts frozen in Western banks, the president has said
The West’s seizure of Russian state assets and reserves – and those of its citizens – is a violation of all legal norms, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, while addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
Putin described the move as “medieval” and compared it to robbery. He also called for the return of frozen assets, especially those belonging to key Russian industries under domestic jurisdiction.
“Many businessmen were stunned to see that their accounts in the West were frozen. It never crossed anyone’s mind. This is simply robbery! They closed it, took it away and won’t even explain why. It’s shocking. It’s like the Middle Ages,” the Russian president stated.
He noted that when money is earned in Russia and then deposited into foreign accounts, certain risks arise.
“Our people have a good…