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Anti-Russian sanctions

Euroclear chief slams G7 proposal to use Russian frozen assets

Lieve Mostrey emphasized that such step would be "very close to an indirect seizure", which could have exactly the same effects on the markets as a direct seizing

LONDON, February 15. /TASS/. The use of frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank to finance recovery of Ukraine proposed by the Group of Seven is very close to an indirect seizure, chief executive of Belgium-based Euroclear Lieve Mostrey said in an interview with The Financial Times.

"Using assets that don’t belong to you as collateral is pretty close to an indirect seizing or a commitment to future seizing, which could have exactly the same effects on the markets as a direct seizing," said the chief executive of the depositary with about 191 bln euro of Russian assets frozen.

"We don’t see how the central Russian bank would simply accept that has been seized and that Euroclear’s obligations towards them have stopped to exist," she noted.

"I trust that the prudent, rational will prevail," Mostrey continued. "When we come to a logic of seizing of assets·.·.·. ·then you see the trust in the Euroclear system, the trust in the European capital markets, the trust in euro as a currency substantially affected," he added.

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