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Moscow vows harsh response to use of proceeds from frozen Russian assets for Ukraine

The first tranche of funds from expropriated revenues from frozen Russian assets to the tune of 1.4 bln euros will be remitted to the European Commission during the first week of August, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said earlier

SOLNECHNOGORSK /Moscow Region/, July 23. /TASS/. The West will feel the fury of Russia’s response should they decide in August to transfer a tranche of the proceeds from Russian frozen assets to fund arms supplies for Ukraine, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

"We have repeatedly said that we will respond very harshly. At the interdepartmental level, a decision on how to respond will be made on each item. Naturally, we will act in line with our national interests, but they will feel it, and I think they know this," she said in reply to a related question.

The first tranche of funds from expropriated revenues from frozen Russian assets to the tune of 1.4 bln euros will be remitted to the European Commission during the first week of August, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said earlier.

The funds will be used to finance the weapons needs of Ukraine, including air defense systems and artillery munitions, Borrell said. The money received will also be used to place orders with the Ukrainian defense industry.

The European Union, Canada, the United States and Japan froze Russia's assets worth about $300 billion after the start of the special military operation. Of this amount, about $5-6 billion is in the US, while most of the money sits in Europe, including in the Euroclear depository in Belgium ($210 bln is stored there). The European Commission earlier approved a proposal to use the proceeds from the blocked Russian funds to help Kiev.