MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. The initiative to set up a register of damage caused to Ukraine as a result of military operations is indicative of the wish to steal Russian money, invested in European banks and securities, the deputy speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, Konstantin Kosachev, has said.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said on Wednesday that participants in the Council of Europe’s summit in Reykjavik had signed a declaration on creating a register of damage caused to Ukraine as a result of the hostilities for which Kiev and the West hold Russia responsible. He also said that a mechanism "that will ensure that Ukraine receive full compensations under international law, in particular at the expense of Russian assets around the world" was yet to be established.
"If this is translated from the language of European euphemisms to a plain human language, it means: we want to steal the money you put in our banks and securities in order to give it to another state. And we will also rob other countries' companies, which disobey the rules that we have unilaterally invented on our own. Do you really want everything counted? Well, let's talk about the damage resulting from illegitimate actions then. Let's start with sanctions," Kosachev said on his Telegram channel.
He recalled that for many years Russia had been exposed to intentional damage - allegedly in retaliation for "non-compliance with the Minsk agreements."
"Now we know from very authoritative witnesses that the reason for such non-implementation was the refusal of the Ukrainian side with the full backing of Western countries," Kosachev said.
"I am not saying that I know the exact scale of losses caused to Russia, its companies and individuals, but apparently time is ripe to compile such a register, which will include GDP decline, missed profits, interest on frozen assets, and losses from the artificial downgrading of Russia's investment ratings and from unfulfilled contracts," Kosachev continued. In addition, he suggested including in this register the losses from the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, as well as physical and moral harm to Crimeans "in retaliation for their courage to follow the European values and freedoms and vote for independence."
"And much, much more, for instance, the consequences of the special military operation, which certainly might not have happened, had the Minsk agreements been implemented, and if there had been a Western reaction to Russia’s proposals for security guarantees. Lastly, if Europe had simply paid attention to human rights in eastern Ukraine after the 2014 coup d'etat," Kosachev stressed.
References to EU or US sanction acts can in no way be recognized a legitimate excuse of the damage caused to Russia and other countries.
"These are internal decisions. Those who made them should feel free to apply them to themselves and to their own companies, provided they agree to tolerate such arbitrariness. But spreading them to Russia or third countries is just complete lawlessness, which for some reason is called ‘rule-based order’. It turns out that the rules are set by the EU and US under their internal acts, but for some reason the whole world is expected to obey them," Kosachev wrote.